Republican Delegates Choose Experienced Candidates for Statewide Offices
NOVI — The Michigan Republican Party selected Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd and Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini as its nominees for attorney general and secretary of state on Saturday during an endorsement convention.
About 2,100 delegates gathered at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi to make the endorsements, which will guide the party's official nomination process at the August convention.
Lloyd won the attorney general nomination with 63 percent of the vote, defeating Birmingham lawyer Kevin Kijewski, who received 37 percent of the vote. Forlini secured the secretary of state nomination with 55 percent of the vote in a three-way race against Oakland County businesswoman Monica Yatooma and Clarkston school board member Amanda Love.
"I've been elected," Lloyd said following the convention. "I've actually done the job. I'm walking into that job day one, able to move forward."
Forlini added, "I think electability. I think established leadership in the past. I've got a record of getting things done."
Experience as Key Selling Point
The convention was organized with a focus on electability, party chairman Jim Runestad said. Runestad noted that Republicans were preparing for the convention by doing advance work to avoid the intense infighting that has characterized past GOP conventions.
"There was a hyper focus on we want to win the cycle," Runestad said. "And that's more than I've heard in the last couple of conventions."
Former state Rep. Pete Lund, a delegate from Macomb County, endorsed Forlini as the most electable candidate. "He's the most electable," Lund said.
Lloyd, who has served as Eaton County's prosecuting attorney since 2013, emphasized his experience as a key differentiator. Republican delegate Chris Arndt, an Eaton County commissioner and alternate delegate, promoted Lloyd during the convention, saying he would not act as a partisan if elected.
"He wouldn't take a weird cause or a party line as a guide star," Arndt said.
Competitive Races for Key Offices
The attorney general and secretary of state races are among the most important for Michigan Republicans this cycle. Both Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel and Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are term-limited and cannot seek reelection. Benson is instead running for governor.
Republicans see opportunities in the executive branch, but GOP campaign consultant Jason Roe acknowledged the challenging political environment.
"Obviously, we're in a tough political environment," Roe said. "But with good candidates and good fundraising, you can overperform."
The convention also saw uncontested endorsements for 10 other statewide positions, including two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court, two seats on the State Board of Education, and positions on the governing boards for Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University.
Democratic Convention to Follow
The Michigan Democratic Party will hold its State Endorsement Convention on April 19 in Detroit. The Democratic convention will select nominees to challenge Lloyd and Forlini in their respective races.
Republican delegates also made endorsements for university boards. They selected Andy Anuzis and Christa Murphy for the Wayne State University Board of Governors, Michael Schostak and Lena Epstein for the University of Michigan Board of Regents, and Roger Victory and Julie Maday for the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.
The Michigan Republican Party and Michigan Democratic Party are among just three states where major party delegates routinely choose nominees for consequential posts like attorney general and secretary of state at conventions rather than through primary elections.
The early endorsement process gives prospective nominees more time to fundraise and campaign before the general election. However, critics argue the system allows partisans to effectively decide nominees ahead of formal fall nominating conventions.
"If you change horses in August, that doesn't leave you much time for a new candidate to campaign," said David Dulio, a political science professor who leads the Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement.
Both parties have historically maintained their spring endorsement choices when they meet at their fall nominating conventions, making this weekend's selections highly consequential for the November general election.