Michigan Republican delegates are set to turn Novi into the center of the party’s latest showdown tomorrow, when an unusually early endorsement convention will decide which candidates the GOP backs for attorney general and secretary of state. The choice in both races is stark: seasoned county prosecutors and clerks versus insurgent or outsider hopefuls who have fired up delegates on election security and accountability. With the convention less than 48 hours away, the outcome will signal which wing of the party has the upper hand heading into the August primary and the November general election.
Convention Details
According to the Michigan Republican Party, the Endorsement Convention will be held tomorrow at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi and is restricted to credentialed delegates, who will vote immediately after taking the Oath of Office. Party leaders say moving the event into March is meant to give endorsed candidates a head start on organizing and fundraising, and chairman Jim Runestad has said the timing is intended to take the fight to the Democrats early. Delegates will make choices for multiple statewide posts, but the attorney general and secretary of state contests are commanding most of the attention.
Traditional Versus Outsider
Local coverage has cast the races as a clash between “traditional” office-holders and insurgent outsiders, a storyline that will play out on the convention floor. As reported by Crain's Detroit Business, the attorney general contest has narrowed to two Republicans, while three GOP hopefuls are vying for the secretary of state endorsement. Delegates will be weighing résumés and perceived electability, along with ideological alignment, when they mark their ballots.
Attorney General Matchup
Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd is pitching his years in court and his experience running a busy county office as the strongest preparation for leading the state’s legal operations, according to CBS Detroit. His Republican opponent, Kevin Kijewski, is a Birmingham attorney and former superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Detroit, according to the archdiocese’s personnel announcement, and he has leaned on his private-sector and administrative background as a counterpoint to traditional prosecutorial credentials. That contrast, pitting law-enforcement experience against management chops and outsider messaging, is at the heart of delegates’ decision on the attorney general race.
Secretary Of State Fight
The secretary of state field features Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, who has centered his campaign on election-integrity changes and administrative reforms, alongside Clarkston school-board trustee Amanda Love and Oakland County GOP activist Monica Yatooma, according to local reporting. Forlini’s county office recently drew attention over issues involving jury and registration lists, a situation reported by FOX2 Detroit, while the Detroit Free Press has highlighted Yatooma’s grassroots organizing background. Delegates will be choosing between candidates who emphasize hands-on administrative experience and those who lean into outsider appeals on election security.
Why The Endorsement Matters
The secretary of state is Michigan’s top elections official, and the attorney general oversees broad prosecutorial powers, roles that national and local outlets have noted are increasingly politicized in recent election cycles. As the Associated Press has reported, both offices carry high-profile responsibilities and have been central to post-2020 election fights, raising the stakes of the Novi gathering beyond routine intra-party maneuvering. A party endorsement can deliver early donor attention and institutional backing that often matter in the summer primary and in the fall campaign.
Process And Stakes
Party rules provide delegates with candidate videos and materials in advance so that voting can move quickly on convention day, and the state party’s rules page explains how endorsements are recorded and used. As outlined on the party’s convention page, an endorsement does not legally prevent primary challenges, but it frequently consolidates local party organizations and resources around the chosen contenders. Because the convention was moved earlier this year, whoever emerges from Novi with the GOP seal of approval will have extra time to build a statewide operation before August and November.
The vote in Novi will offer an early read on whether delegates prefer establishment résumés or outsider firebrands as they line up to pursue open statewide offices next year. A tight count is expected, and both camps are likely to keep pressing their case long after the last ballot is tallied.
