Debate Spotlights Election Denialism and Experience

Michigan's secretary of state candidates, Garlin Gilchrist and Anthony Forlini, engaged in a spirited debate at the University of Michigan, highlighting issues of election denialism, voter security, and administration. The event, moderated by Bridge Michigan and Gongwer News Service, marked their second debate, following an earlier forum with third-party candidates.

Candidates’ Backgrounds and Core Arguments

Garlin Gilchrist, the Democratic nominee and current lieutenant governor, emphasized his background as a software engineer and his dedication to protecting Michiganders’ sensitive data. He pledged to serve as the state's “chief privacy officer” and resist federal intervention in Michigan elections. Republican nominee Anthony Forlini, currently Macomb County Clerk, underscored his experience overseeing elections in Michigan's third-largest county, vowing to clean voter rolls and champion local clerks.

Debate Over Election Denialism and Past Contests

A contentious point was Forlini's assertion that he is not an election denier, contrasted with Gilchrist’s response to his 2017 Detroit city clerk loss. While Gilchrist did request a recount and expressed concerns regarding election administration—particularly noting uncounted precincts due to broken seals or mismatched absentee ballot counts—he did not deny the outcome. Gilchrist maintained his aim was transparency for Detroit voters rather than contesting the result.

Forlini’s Position on the 2020 Election and Forensic Audit

Gilchrist highlighted his acceptance of his 2017 loss as a key difference from Forlini’s approach as clerk. However, there is no evidence Forlini has denied the results of the 2020 presidential election. While he ordered an independent audit of Macomb County's 2020 results—costing about $16,000—he affirmed this was not about overturning the outcome, but to address skepticism. The state Bureau of Elections had already conducted a risk-limiting audit in the county prior to Forlini’s actions.

Hiring of Jan. 6 Participant and QAnon Protest Attendance

Forlini faced scrutiny for hiring Genevieve Peters, a right-wing activist who attended the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot and has denied the 2020 election outcomes. While Gilchrist characterized Peters as a poll worker recruiter and clerk trainer, there is no evidence her responsibilities extended to training election administrators or that she was a leader of the Capitol events; she faced no criminal charges for her attendance.

Gilchrist also accused Forlini of QAnon conspiracy sympathies for attending a 2020 “march for human trafficking awareness” with QAnon-linked rhetoric and imagery. Forlini has maintained he opposes human trafficking and claims no affiliation with QAnon, citing ignorance of the QAnon connections at the event.

Senate Attendance and Voter Data Sharing

Forlini criticized Gilchrist's attendance during his tenure as lieutenant governor, stating Gilchrist appeared at only 6 out of 100 Senate sessions in 2025. Reports show Gilchrist attended 6% of sessions, but he maintained he was present for all necessary tie-breaking votes and held other gubernatorial responsibilities statewide.

In closing remarks, Gilchrist accused Forlini of willingly providing Macomb County voter data to the federal government during investigations into noncitizens on voter rolls. Forlini responded that he began cooperating once the federal government intervened following his public claims, and stated cooperation continues with state and federal authorities. The extent of voter data shared and whether non-public information was included remain unclear. State officials, including incumbent Jocelyn Benson, have cautioned that Forlini's approach may produce false positives on noncitizen identifications. Benson successfully resisted federal subpoenas for the full Qualified Voter File in court.

Outlook and Ongoing Issues

The debate took place amid absentee voting already underway, with nearly 300,000 ballots cast, and recent surveys indicating Gilchrist leading Forlini by 5 percentage points, although a significant portion of voters remain undecided. As with many downballot races, outcomes for roles such as Michigan secretary of state may be influenced by broader electoral trends.

Source: bridgemi.com.