Garlin Gilchrist II

Garlin Gilchrist II is the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (2019–present), serving under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Before entering politics, he received two engineering degrees from the University of Michigan and worked as a software engineer at Microsoft, then served as director of new media at the Center for Community Change and national campaign director of MoveOn.org in Washington, D.C. He returned to Detroit in 2014 to serve as the city's director of innovation & emerging technology, where he helped create the 'Improve Detroit' resident-reporting smartphone app. As Lieutenant Governor he launched the Clean Slate criminal-record-expungement program and the Michigan Innovation Fund. He announced a campaign for Governor of Michigan on March 11, 2025, but withdrew on January 12, 2026 to instead run for Michigan Secretary of State. He lives in Detroit with his wife, Ellen, and their children Emily, Garlin III, and Ruby.