Gilchrist nabs Laborers’ International Union endorsement in Michigan secretary of state race

Labor continues to line up behind Garlin Gilchrist, Michigan’s lieutenant governor, as he seeks to replace Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in 2026.

After grabbing endorsement nods from Michigan AFL-CIO, the United Auto Workers, the American Federation of Teachers, the Michigan Education Association, the Northwest Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and Unite Here Local 24, Gilchrist announced Friday that he was now getting support from Laborers’ International Union of North America, or  LiUNA, which represents construction, energy and public sector employees.

“LiUNA of Michigan is proud to stand tall with Garlin Gilchrist II in his campaign for Secretary of State,” said Brent Pilarski, business manager of the Michigan Laborers District Council, in a statement. “Over his career, Garlin has built one of the strongest pro-labor records in Michigan history; helping repeal right-to-work, restore prevailing wage, and protect collective bargaining rights for public employees. He has consistently delivered for working families, and we are confident he will bring that same commitment to the Secretary of State’s office.”

Gilchrist entered the secretary of state race late in the game after dropping out of the governor’s race, which undoubtedly cleared up the lane for Benson, who is positioned as the frontrunner in the Democratic gubernatorial primary; she now just faces Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

The gamble has been paying off, at least in the endorsement game, with some of the state’s key labor forces now circling their wagons around Gilchrist. The lieutenant governor said he was proud to have the support of LiUNA and the Michigan Laborers District Council.

“Our sisters and brothers in the labor movement have made Michigan the best place in the world to have an idea, and then build it the right way,” Gilchrist said. “I will never stop standing up for our unions that are the backbone of the middle-class. As Secretary of State, I will protect workers’ rights, including the sacred right to vote, and deliver a more transparent government, more efficient services, and more help for Michigan’s working families.”

The Democratic secretary of state contest, which is heavily influenced by the state’s powerful unions and interest groups at the party’s spring and summer conventions, also features Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and former Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli.

On the Republican side is Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini and Republican activists Amanda Love and Monica Yatooma.