Michigan Republicans Endorse Lloyd and Forlini for Attorney General and Secretary of State

Republican Convention Selects Early Nominees in 2026 Election Cycle

LANSING — Michigan Republicans have selected their early endorsements for attorney general and secretary of state at a convention in Novi on Saturday, marking another step in the 2026 election cycle as the party seeks to regain control of the executive branch after eight years of Democratic leadership.

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 will need to be formally nominated at the GOPs August convention to appear on the ballot, but party insiders say upending the ticket at that time would require supermajority votes under party rules, making it unlikely.

The endorsement convention took place at the Suburban Collection Showplace exposition center in Novi, with thousands of delegates, Republican politicians and general attendees gathering to participate in the process. The party also nominated candidates for positions where the number of prospective candidates equaled the available seats, including the Michigan Supreme Court, State Board of Education, and governing boards of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University.

Competence Over Ideology

Both Lloyd and Forlini emphasized competence and mainstream appeal as key factors in their endorsements.

Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd said the GOP convention delegates were looking for candidates who bring together the ability to show people what it is like when you have been elected and have the experience doing the job.

I think what it is, is Anthony and I bring together the ability to actually show people what it is like when you have 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 have got a record of getting things done.

The Path Forward

The candidates will have to be formally nominated at the GOPs 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. 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.

Political Context

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

Obviously, we are in a tough political environment, said GOP campaign consultant Jason Roe. 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.

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

Republican Gubernatorial Candidates

Before the endorsement votes, 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 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 is killing us right now, because as a result, they are spending other peoples money, and it is very easy to spend somebody else 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.

Other Nominations

The party formally nominated candidates for Secretary of State and Attorney General, marking an early step in the 2026 election cycle as debates over election policy, government spending and party unity continue to shape the race. Delegates also chose the Republican nominations for the Michigan Supreme Court, the State Board of Education and the governing boards of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University.

The nominations are listed below:

• Michael Warren and Casandra Morse for Justice of the Supreme Court
• Bree Moeggenberg and Terence Collins for the State Board of Education
• 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
• Christa Murphy and Andy Anuzis for Wayne State University Board of Governors

Ballot Positions

The ballot for Secretary of State was divided between Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini and conservative activists Amanda Love Education, trustee on the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education and Monica Yatooma, executive board member of the Oakland County Republican Party.

The ballot for Attorney General included Eaton County prosecutor Doug Lloyd and attorney Kevin Kijewski.

In an interview with The Michigan Daily, David Mcquera, a delegate from District 10, said he is looking for officials who prioritize integrity and accountability.

For Secretary of State, ensuring election integrity and enhanced efficiency in the secretary of state offices is important, Mcquera said. With respect to Attorney General, we want someone who can represent the state of Michigan in various legal issues that are important to people. There are issues concerning whether or not the state or Lansing should be setting the agenda for what used to be in the domain of local governments, and that can involve zoning issues, location of data centers and utility issues.

In an interview with The Daily, Bernadette Smith, former Michigan Republican Party co-chair and U.S. Senate candidate, said she believed that Americans shared the same fundamental values despite political polarization and cultural differences.

Most Americans, we all want the same thing whether we are white, Black, green, blue, we want the same things, right, Smith said. Faith, family and freedom. We want to be free, we want security, we just want to be treated right. So we need to bring that back.