Michigan GOP Endorses Doug Lloyd and Anthony Forlini as Attorney General and Secretary of State Candidates

Republican Party Selects Mainstream Candidates in Early Endorsements

The Michigan Republican Party held an endorsement convention in Novi on Saturday, selecting Doug Lloyd as its likely attorney general nominee and Anthony Forlini as its secretary of state nominee for the 2026 election cycle.

Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd won the endorsement for Michigan attorney general, while Macomb County Clerk Tony Forlini secured the secretary of state nomination. Both candidates emphasized their electability and experience as key factors in their endorsements.

Lloyd, who previously ran for state Senate against Abdul El-Sayed in Dearborn, said the GOP convention delegates were looking for competence and mainstream appeal.

"I think what it is, is Anthony and I bring together the ability to actually show people what it's like when you've been elected, when you have the experience doing the job," Lloyd said following the convention. "We know the job. We know how to do it. We know how to move forward."

Forlini, who is also a former state legislator, said Republicans are hungry to win following eight years of Democratic control of the executive branch and they want candidates whose appeal lies in competence over ideology.

"I think electability," Forlini said. "I think established leadership in the past. I've got a record of getting things done."

The candidates will have to be formally nominated at the GOP's August convention, which is a legal requirement to appear on the ballot. Saturday's endorsement convention is not the final word because delegates can choose to upend the ticket at the August convention. But that is unlikely because it would require supermajority votes under party rules.

The early endorsement convention gives the party and the candidates time to coalesce, organize and fundraise.

Time Crunch for Parties in Midterms

Delegate Pete Lund, a former state legislator from Macomb County, said early voting and mail-in ballots mean political parties face a time crunch following the August conventions.

"That really is a game changer, and I think the party that adjusts to that the best will be the one with the best chances," Lund said. "The party that makes that adjustment, the party that takes advantage of that is going to be the party that is going to be in the best shape."

Republicans see opportunities since Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson cannot seek reelection under Michigan's term limits. But the party in the White House typically suffers at the polls in the mid-terms.

"Obviously, we're in a tough political environment," GOP campaign consultant Jason Roe said. "But with good candidates and good fundraising, you can overperform."

Roe said a lot will depend on the nominees for governor and U.S. Senate who will top the ticket.

GOP Convention Nominations

The convention also formally nominated candidates for other statewide and university board positions. For the Michigan Supreme Court, Michael Warren and Casandra Morse-Bills were nominated as justices. For the State Board of Education, Bree Moeggenberg and Terence Collins received nominations.

University board nominations included Julie Maday and Roger Victory for the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, Lena Epstein and Michael Schostak for the University of Michigan Board of Regents, and Christa Murphy and Andy Anuzis for Wayne State University Board of Governors.

State Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, gave a speech calling for unity within the party ahead of the 2026 election cycle. He said members must take an active role in advancing conservative priorities.

"Our mission must be to restore accountability in the runway of our government, to advance our conservative concerns, to restore freedoms," Runestad said. "Show up to your county party meetings, volunteer for campaigns, knock on doors, make calls, send text messages, talk to your neighbors, share our message, push back on any impious information."

Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Pitch

Republican gubernatorial candidates Perry Johnson, John James and Ralph Rebandt each made their pitch to party members. Johnson, a businessman and potential gubernatorial candidate, said his campaign is centered on economic concerns, criticizing what he described as unchecked government spending.

"We have to eliminate the excessive spending of government," Johnson said. "It's killing us right now, because as a result, they're spending other people's money, and it's very easy to spend somebody else's money. We need to cut that out, because we need to eliminate the state income tax in Michigan if we want to ignite this state."

Hima Kolanagireddy, a member of the Republican National Committee, pointed to youth involvement as crucial for the party's future.

Election Year Context

The Republican Party is positioning itself to capitalize on term limits for the current Democratic administration's top officials. Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Nessel and Secretary of State Benson are all term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2026.

However, Republicans acknowledge the challenges of midterm elections, especially with the party in the White House. Campaign consultant Jason Roe noted that while the environment is tough, strong candidates and effective fundraising can help the party overperform.

The August primary elections will be decided by voters, not party insiders, as parties cannot change the date of the primary elections where voters choose candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and the Legislature.

The GOP endorsement convention marked an early step in the 2026 election cycle as debates over election policy, government spending and party unity continue to shape the race. With the endorsements now in place, Lloyd and Forlini will need to focus on fundraising and building their campaigns as they work toward formal nomination at the August convention.