(The Center Square) – Michigan Republican Party delegates selected Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini and Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd as their nominees for secretary of state and attorney general, respectively, during the party’s endorsement convention Saturday.
More than 2,000 delegates gathered at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi, where party leaders framed the early endorsement process as a strategic move to give Republican candidates a head start heading into the general election.
Forlini and Lloyd – both viewed as establishment-backed candidates – secured decisive support from delegates.
Following his nomination, Forlini said his campaign will focus on restoring confidence in Michigan’s election system and improving customer service.
First elected Macomb County clerk in 2021, Forlini previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives. He defeated Oakland County precinct delegate Monica Yatooma and Clarkston school board trustee Amanda Love for the nomination.
In a previous interview with The Center Square, Forlini said he is ready to use his experience to restore trust in Michigan’s electoral system.
“I felt like it was important that a clerk . . . step up and step into that role,” Forlini said. “I think it’s critically important that the secretary of state’s office become more transparent with how we operate . . . the key element for election integrity is transparency, while at the same time maintaining the confidentiality of each person’s ballot.”
Lloyd, who has served as Eaton County’s prosecuting attorney since 2013, defeated attorney Kevin Kijewski. He said that he would bring a “tough but fair” approach to the attorney general’s office and emphasized a return to impartial legal decision-making.
Current Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats, are term-limited.
Michigan is one of just a few states where major political parties nominate candidates for these roles through conventions rather than primary elections. Nominees will be formally confirmed at an August convention and voters will weigh in on Election Day, which is in just 218 days.
Throughout the convention, Republican party leaders repeatedly emphasized the need for unity heading into the general election.
“Division is not harmless. Division costs the very future of our children and our grandchildren,” Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad told delegates. “We cannot let that happen this year.”
Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, who is running for governor, echoed the call for party unity in a statement following the convention.
“I want to extend my congratulations to Anthony Forlini and Doug Lloyd on their hard-fought victories today,” Nesbitt said. “Now, it is time to unite our party and take the fight directly to the Democrats this November. We have a state to save.”
This comes after a few election cycles in which Republican candidates struggled to gain momentum in statewide races. For example, Benson won reelection in 2022 with 55.9% of the vote. A Republican last won the office in 2014.
In Michigan, the secretary of state oversees several key functions, including the administration of elections, the issuance of driver's licenses and vehicle registrations, and consumer protection.
On the Democrat side of the secretary of state race, a crowded field is also competing for nomination, including Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Ingham County Clerk Barbara Byrum, and several other candidates. The Michigan Democratic Party convention is currently scheduled for April 19.
In addition to Forlini and Lloyd, delegates also selected nominees for several statewide boards and judicial positions. Those include candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court, State Board of Education, and governing boards for the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University.
