Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II has his eyes set on higher office. Fanning his feathers, he has expressed interest in running for the governor’s position in 2026. He’s yearning to fill the shoes of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, separated from the seat by term limits. Cocksure, Gilchrist aims to clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination, marking himself as the third Democrat throwing his hat into the crowded ring.
Blustering about qualifications, Gilchrist holds the fort for the governor whenever she takes the time to wander off the state. He believes this duty, coupled with his previous venture as an engineer, makes him superior to other comers. Gilchrist claims, ‘People are craving results’, and vaunts himself as a ‘solver of problems who has devised solutions’.
Proudly, he illustrates the housing crisis in Michigan as a testament to his problem-solving. Allegedly, he has funneled millions of dollars into our state’s housing trust fund, reportedly bringing 60,000 new housing units online. This statement begs the question – did it genuinely make a dent in the crisis or is it merely a political platitude?
Michigan recorded its first COVID-19 case on March 10, 2020. Since then, the virus has claimed more than 40,000 lives statewide, albeit with numbers decreasing over time. As though grappling with a pandemic wasn’t hard enough, Whitmer decided to burden Gilchrist with leading a task force on COVID’s alleged disparate impact on people of color.
Gilchrist has the gall to say he’s proud of the work they’ve done, claiming to have established 23 new neighborhood health centers across the state. This supposedly marked Michigan as the lone state that even tried to address the disparity, and not just try – Gilchrist dares to assert that they’ve ‘solved’ it. Retrospectively, he says he would have disseminated pandemic data more assertively, claiming success in that approach.
When reporters once challenged Vice President Kamala Harris on how she’d diverge from President Joe Biden, she reportedly couldn’t produce an answer. Assumedly, her blatant lack of independent thought contributed to her loss in the 2024 presidential election. Conversely, Gilchrist swears his tenure under Whitmer won’t result in a carbon copy, claiming his unique experiences and connections make him distinct.
Precariously navigating party lines, progressives have knocked Whitmer and other party figureheads for taking a moderate approach in dealing with far-right characters. Moderates and conservatives counter by blasting Democrats for leaning too far left to remain relevant to mainstream voters. Topics like climate change and transgender rights, they claim, detract from pressing economic concerns.
Although Gilchrist unreservedly declares support for the LGBTQ+ community, he tacks on the motivation to represent everyone, a repetitive and wearily diplomat statement. According to him, the average Michigander doesn’t crave labels. However, he accuses Democrats of failing to express enough anger about the status quo.
Detroit’s Mayor Mike Duggan, breaking away from the Democratic Party, struts forth as an independent candidate for governor. Following the tired script, he asserts that most Michigan voters call for a breath of fresh air – anyone but a Democrat or a Republican.
His assertion, however, sits awkwardly with historical facts. Independent and third-party candidates hardly ever clinch victories, usually scraping together just enough votes to play the spoiler. But, it appears that Gilchrist minds his own business, offering no comment on Duggan’s campaign.
While ignoring his competition, Gilchrist plans to woo independent voters, dangling the prospect of inclusivity by stating, ‘Whether you inhabit a county that Donald Trump painted red or a county that Kamala Harris tinged blue, you’re still a Michigander.’ His purportedly unifying message is classic, tentacled politics – trying desperately to win over everyone.