While most of the focus going into the November election is on the Senate and gubernatorial races, Michigan voters will decide the next leaders of other statewide offices. That includes Attorney General and Secretary of State.
Statewide political correspondent Russ McNamara says Republican Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd and Democratic Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit are campaigning on similar issues as they seek to become the state's next Attorney General.
"They're both prosecutors. They're both 'tough on crime,' right?" he said. "But when it comes to the consumer protection, when it comes to environmental protection, there are some diverging paths it seems like."
Related to environmental legal actions, Savit has pledged to continue the work of AG Dana Nessel in forcing Enbridge Energy to shut down the Line 5 oil and gas pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. Lloyd says he would drop the state's case.
Democratic Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist originally campaigned for governor before dropping out to run for Secretary of State. He might have more name recognition than his opponent Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini who might be more familiar to Metro Detroit voters. They've both campaigned on voting and election security.
"[Gilchrist] wants to make sure that the voting process is as straightforward and linear as possible. In a way, Anthony Forlini wants that as well, but he's coming at it from a different side, on making sure the voter rolls are, you know, free and clean, purging voter rolls where he can," McNamara said.
"Election security is paramount for him, whereas Gilchrist is taking a more holistic approach, like the entirety of the job and making the process easier for the consumer, essentially the people of the state of Michigan."
Time is running out for candidates to make an impression on voters with absentee ballots already out, but these downballot candidates may benefit from the more high-profile races at the top of the ticket for governor and U.S. Senate.
McNamara says this week is the "calm before the storm" of Debate Week set for the first full week of October where candidates for governor, Senate and Michigan's 7th Congressional District will go head to head.
Interview Highlights
On the two candidates running to be the next Michigan Attorney General
there's not a lot of wiggle room between these two candidates, except for like maybe one big thing, and that's something that a lot of people statewide have been following. You know, Dana Nessel has been going after Enbridge Energy over the Line Five oil and gas pipelines that they want to put through the Straits of Mackinac, and Doug Lloyd says he's going to stop trying to stop that from happening. Eli Savit says he will continue the work of AG Nessel. So, I thought that was I thought that was interesting. That's a very clear delineation where it's like, you know, yeah, they're both prosecutors. They're both "tough on crime," right? But when it comes to the consumer protection, when it comes to environmental protection, there are some diverging paths it seems like.
On the two candidates running to be the next Michigan Secretary of State
[Gilchrist] is focusing on the nuts and bolts of the job. He wants to make sure that the voting process is as straightforward and linear as possible. In a way, Anthony Forlini wants that as well, but he's coming at it from a different side, on making sure the voter rolls are, you know, free and clean, purging voter rolls where he can. Election security is paramount for him, whereas Gilchrist is taking a more holistic approach, like the entirety of the job and making the process easier for the consumer, essentially the people of the state of Michigan.
On how high-profile races might help downballot candidates
Democrats overall are more fired up to vote, I would say, than Republicans at this point. A lot of straight ticket voting happens, and so what happens at the top of the ticket, especially in the gubernatorial race, especially in the Senate race, will help downballot, especially for Democrats. You hate to see it, but it's John James at the top of the ticket in the gubernatorial race. He hasn't exactly caught fire in the way, polling-wise, that Benson has so far.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: While most of the focus going into the November election is on the Senate and gubernatorial races, there are other statewide offices that Michigan voters will decide the next leaders of.
That includes Attorney General and Secretary of State.
Statewide political correspondent Russ McNamara joins me now to talk about these races further down the ballot. Hi Russ.
Russ McNamara: Hi, Sophia.
Saliby: So, let's start with Attorney General. We have Republican Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd and Democrat Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit. How are these two candidates running to be the state's top law enforcement official?
McNamara: You know, this race is really interesting because these guys are relative unknown, basically coming into the whole political process. I guess you can make the argument that Eli Savit has maybe more name recognition because Washtenaw County is a little bit bigger. But overall, these two really have a chance to, I don't know, get their name out there and rule without anybody knowing who they are, but then again, who knew who Dana Nessel was eight years ago?
Coming into this whole process, you didn't get the familiarity of the primary process because they're picked by by the party officials. So yeah, there's not a lot of wiggle room between these two candidates, except for like maybe one big thing, and that's something that a lot of people statewide have been following. You know, Dana Nessel has been going after Enbridge Energy over the Line Five oil and gas pipelines that they want to put through the Straits of Mackinac, and Doug Lloyd says he's going to stop trying to stop that from happening. Eli Savit says he will continue the work of AG Nessel. So, I thought that was I thought that was interesting.
That's a very clear delineation where it's like, you know, yeah, they're both prosecutors. They're both "tough on crime," right? But when it comes to the consumer protection, when it comes to environmental protection, there are some diverging paths it seems like.
Saliby: Then, we have the Secretary of State race between Democratic Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and Republican Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini. You reported last week on how these two candidates are focusing on different aspects of the job in their campaigns. Tell us about that.
McNamara: Yeah, I mean they're both kind of bureaucratic-minded people. This was not Garlin Gilchrist's first choice for a job after a lieutenant governorship. Obviously, he wanted to be governor after this, and then decided to become a Secretary of State. Now his background is in programming. He is focusing on the nuts and bolts of the job. He wants to make sure that the voting process is as straightforward and linear as possible.
In a way, Anthony Forlini wants that as well, but he's coming at it from a different side, on making sure the voter rolls are, you know, free and clean, purging voter rolls where he can. Election security is paramount for him, whereas Gilchrist is taking a more holistic approach, like the entirety of the job and making the process easier for the consumer, essentially the people of the state of Michigan.
Gilchrist does have an advantage when it comes to name recognition. He's been around for the last eight years. Forlini is relatively new to the scene statewide, but he's well known in Macomb County, again, that will help him come election time.
Saliby: For both parties, are these candidates running on their own, or or more as part of an aligned statewide ticket, which we kind of saw with the past eight years with Whitmer, Benson and Nessel?
McNamara: There doesn't seem to be total cohesion between the three candidates so far. They've all appeared at the same events, of course, but not in the same way that the triumvirate of Nessel, Benson, and Whitmer have been for the past eight years, so maybe not quite as together as it was in the past.
However, Democrats overall are more fired up to vote, I would say, than Republicans at this point. A lot of straight ticket voting happens, and so what happens at the top of the ticket, especially in the gubernatorial race, especially in the Senate race, will help downballot, especially for Democrats.
You hate to see it, but it's John James at the top of the ticket in the gubernatorial race. He hasn't exactly caught fire in the way, polling-wise, that Benson has so far.
Saliby: And is there anything else you're watching this week?
McNamara: Well, basically, the political establishment is holding its breath. Next week is debate week. Three big debates next week. We get a lot of answers to questions.
We get these candidates on stage together in the gubernatorial race, in the Senate race, and in Michigan's 7th Congressional District. It's going to be an exciting week next week. This is the calm before the storm.
Saliby: Russ McNamara is our statewide political correspondent. Take a break before that storm, and thank you for being here.
McNamara: Thanks, Sophia.
