How Michigan Chooses Nominees for Statewide Offices

Last Update: June 18, 2026. Learn how Michigan selects nominees for key statewide offices through party conventions, early endorsements, and how you can get involved in the process.

Most Michigan voters are used to walking into a polling place in August or November, filling out a ballot, and assuming that’s when candidates are chosen. But for several of Michigan’s most powerful statewide offices, the real decision-making happens months earlier — inside party conventions.

And unless you’re active inside a political party, you probably never see it. Learn how Michigan’s convention system works, what early endorsement conventions are (and are not), how delegates are selected, and where citizens can plug into the process.

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How Michigan Chooses Nominees for Statewide Offices

• Which Offices Are Nominated by Convention?
• What Does the Law Require for the Nomination Process?
• Who Can Vote in State and Early Endorsement Conventions?
• Does Running for Precinct Delegate Still Matter?
• When are the Convention Dates and Deadlines?
• What Are Early Endorsement Conventions?
  • What’s the Difference Between Endorsement and a Nomination?
  • Republican Early Convention Overview
  • Democrat Early Convention Overview
• Efforts to Eliminate Nominating Conventions
• Getting Involved: Why This Feels Unfamiliar, and Why It Matters
  • Why the Process Feels Unfamiliar to Most Voters
  • How You Can Get Involved Before Election Day
  • Why This Matters for Michigan Voters
• Sources

Voter Guides - See Who's Running

• Michigan Secretary of State Race 2026 Voter Guide
• Michigan Attorney General Race 2026 Voter Guide
• Michigan Judicial Election 2026 Voter Guide

Which Offices Are Nominated by Convention?

Michigan does not use a public primary election to choose party nominees for several statewide offices. Instead, nominees are selected at party conventions.

Those offices include:

• Attorney General
• Secretary of State
• Michigan Supreme Court (two seats in 2026)
• State Board of Education (two seats in 2026)
• University Boards
  • University of Michigan Board of Regents
  • Michigan State University Board of Trustees
  • Wayne State University Board of Governors

Under Michigan Election Law (MCL 168.591–168.596), political parties hold state conventions in even-numbered years to nominate candidates for these offices.

That means voters do not directly choose the party nominee in the August primary. Instead, delegates selected through a layered process vote at a convention to determine who appears on the November ballot.

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What Does the Law Require for the Nomination Process?

Fall Convention

Michigan law requires what is commonly called the “fall state convention.”

Under MCL 168.591, state conventions for nominating candidates in even-numbered years must be held at least 60 days before the November general election.

County conventions are held after the August primary to elect delegates to the state convention (MCL 168.592). The structure looks like this:

August Primary

• Voters elect precinct delegates.

Fall County Conventions

• Precinct delegates meet at the county convention.
• The county convention splits up delegate seats according to the formula set by state law — each county gets a specific number of delegate seats based on how many people from their party voted in the most recent presidential election.

Fall State Convention

• Delegates vote to nominate the party’s official candidates for statewide offices.

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Who Can Vote in State and Early Endorsement Conventions?

This is where the two parties actually diverge, even though both are operating under the same law.

Republicans

You have to have come up through the chain — elected as a precinct delegate, then carried forward into a state convention delegate seat through the county convention. No chain, no vote, regardless of how long you’ve been a party member.

Democrats

You just have to be a member. Specifically, a member of the Michigan Democratic Party for at least 30 days before the convention, who shows up in person and checks in (“credentials”) that day. There’s no separate delegate status to earn on top of membership. For the 2026 Fall Convention, that meant joining by July 30, 2026.

Both parties use this same rule for their early endorsement conventions, not just the fall convention. Republicans kept the delegate chain for the March 28 endorsement convention too. Democrats kept it membership-based for the April 19 endorsement convention, just with an earlier deadline — March 20, 2026 instead of July 30.

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Does Running for Precinct Delegate Still Matter?

Yes, but the reason depends on which party you’re in.

For Republicans, it’s the whole game. It’s the only way to get a vote at the state convention at all — the county convention is literally where your precinct delegate status turns into a state convention seat.

For Democrats, it’s not about the state convention vote anymore, since any member can get that. It matters for a different reason: precinct delegates are the ones who vote on county party leadership — who becomes county chair, who sits on the county executive committee. That’s a separate layer of party power, closer to home, that has nothing to do with who gets nominated for Secretary of State.

Precinct delegate is still the entry point into party decision-making either way. It’s just a different door depending on which party you walk through.

Candidates are officially nominated and certified for placement on the November general election ballot only after the fall state convention. This is the legally required nomination process under Michigan Election Law.

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When are the Convention Dates and Deadlines?

All 2026 convention and election dates, in chronological order:

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What Are Early Endorsement Conventions?

In recent election cycles, both major parties have adopted a separate, earlier step: endorsement conventions.

These are not required by state law. They are governed by party rules.

In 2026:

• The Michigan Republican Party held an endorsement convention on March 28, 2026.
• The Michigan Democratic Party held its endorsement convention on April 19, 2026, in Detroit.

What’s the Difference Between Endorsement and a Nomination?

An Endorsement

• Does not automatically place a candidate on the ballot.
• Is governed by party rules.
• Occurs earlier in the calendar.
• Signals internal party support.
• Can provide fundraising momentum
• Can shape media narratives
• Can influence internal party alignment

An endorsed candidate still must secure the official nomination at the legally required state convention.

A Nomination

• Is required under Michigan law.
• Occurs at the fall state party convention after the August primary.
• Determines who appears on the November ballot.
• Is governed by statute (MCL 168.591–168.596)

After the fall party conventions, each party's official nominees are placed on the general election ballot for voters to choose from.

Endorsements influence the race. Nominations determine the ballot.

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Republican Early Convention Overview

GOP Convention Sign Up Details

Key dates include:

• January 27, 2026 – County convention calls issued
• February 26, 2026 – County conventions held
• March 28, 2026 – State endorsement convention. 👉 View the Endorsed Candidates.

How it Works

Step 1: County Conventions — Choosing Who Gets to Vote

February = counties choose the voters. Eligible participants include:

• Elected precinct delegates
• Republican nominees for legislative and county offices
• Incumbent Republican legislators
• Certain state party officials

At these county conventions, participants do not vote directly for Attorney General or Secretary of State. Instead, they elect delegates and alternates to the March 28 State Endorsement Convention.

Step 2: State Endorsement Convention — Casting the Votes

March = those delegates choose the endorsed candidates. Delegates from across Michigan gather in one location to:

• Hear candidate speeches
• Vote according to party rules
• Determine which candidate receives the party endorsement

This is a statewide delegate vote.

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Democrat Early Convention Overview

Democratic Convention Sign Up Details

Key Dates Include:

• On or before March 28, 2026 – County conventions held
• April 19, 2026 – State endorsement convention

Learn More and Sign Up

• Democratic Convention Website Details
• Early Endorsement Convention Registration Page

The Michigan Democratic Party’s State Endorsement Convention follows a different structure than the Republican process.

Voting eligibility at the State Endorsement Convention is based primarily on party membership and credentialing, not on being elected as a delegate in a prior public election.

To vote at the April 19, 2026, endorsement convention, an individual must:

• Be a member of the Michigan Democratic Party for at least 30 days before the convention (by March 20, 2026).
• Complete the party’s credentialing process to verify eligibility.

Under party rules, the 30-day membership requirement does not apply to precinct delegates, Democratic elected officials, or Democratic nominees to partisan office. Those individuals may become members prior to credentialing at the convention.

How it Works

Step 1. County Conventions – Structuring the Voting Framework

March = committees and convention structure are put in place. County and district conventions are held on or before March 28, 2026 — but they do not select the endorsed statewide candidates. Instead, those conventions:

• Elect members and alternates to the State Convention Committees (Rules, Resolutions, and Credentials).
• Consider and forward resolutions to the state party.
• Help structure and prepare for the State Endorsement Convention.

In other words, the March conventions organize the internal framework of the endorsement convention.

Step 2: State Endorsement Convention—Casting the Votes

April = credentialed members choose the endorsed candidates. On April 19, 2026, credentialed Michigan Democratic Party members gather in Detroit for the State Endorsement Convention.

Participants:

• Complete the credentialing process (membership verified)
• Hear candidate speeches
• Participate under party rules
• Cast ballots to determine which candidate receives the party endorsement

Unlike the Republican process, this is not a limited body of delegates elected at county conventions.

Instead, voting is conducted by credentialed party members who meet the membership deadline requirements.

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Efforts to Eliminate Nominating Conventions

The convention system for nominating Secretary of State and Attorney General candidates is under serious scrutiny — from both parties.

The push has roots in 2022, when the Republican convention process produced Kristina Karamo for SOS and Matt DePerno for AG, two candidates whose far-right views — including false claims about the 2020 election — damaged the party badly in the general election. That experience prompted both Democrats and Republicans to question whether conventions produce nominees who can actually win statewide.

In April 2026, former Michigan Democratic Party chair Lon Johnson and former Michigan Republican Party executive director Jason Cabel Roe launched a joint campaign to move nominations to primary elections. Bridge Michigan covered the effort here: Ex-Michigan party leaders: Time to ditch nominating conventions.

In May 2026, the Michigan legislature introduced House Joint Resolution U (2026-HJR-U), a proposed constitutional amendment that would — after 2026 — require SOS and AG nominations to happen at primary elections rather than party conventions. The resolution is bundled with university board governance reforms driven in part by ongoing turmoil at Michigan State University.

As of late May 2026, the proposal had not passed. At the Mackinac Policy Conference, House Speaker Matt Hall signaled that the August ballot deadline was not realistic and that any viable proposal would need to include a closed primary — where only registered party members could vote — and additional changes to the State Board of Education to secure enough Republican support. That August deadline has since passed without legislative action, so a November 2026 ballot question is now the only remaining path for this cycle, if the resolution moves at all. The two-thirds vote required in each chamber remains a high bar, and as of mid-June, neither HJR-U nor its Senate companion had received a floor vote.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has publicly said she supports moving to a primary. This guide will be updated as the situation develops.

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Getting Involved: Why This Feels Unfamiliar, and Why It Matters

Why the Process Feels Unfamiliar to Most Voters

These conventions:

• Are not run by the state.
• Are not widely covered by the media.
• Follow party documents rather than ballot instructions.
• Occur months before most voters pay attention.

The system is not new. It is a longstanding feature of Michigan’s election structure.

But because most voters do not directly participate in conventions, the process can feel opaque.

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How You Can Get Involved Before Election Day

There are two primary paths.

1. Run for Precinct Delegate

• File to appear on the August primary ballot.
• If elected, attend county conventions.
• For Republicans, this is your path into a state convention delegate seat.
• For Democrats, this is where you vote on county party leadership instead.
• Help shape your party from the ground up.

2. Join and Engage in Your Party

• Meet membership deadlines — this matters for Democratic participation at both the spring endorsement convention and the fall nominating convention.
• Attend county or district conventions.
• Volunteer in party committees.
• Learn internal rules and procedures.

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Why This Matters for Michigan Voters

The offices selected at these conventions:

• Oversee elections (Secretary of State)
• Enforce state law (Attorney General)
• Interpret the Michigan Constitution (Supreme Court)
• Govern public universities
• Shape statewide education policy

These are powerful roles.

Understanding how nominees are selected clarifies where influence resides — and when citizens can engage.

The most consequential political decisions for these offices often happen long before Election Day. And those decisions are made by people who showed up at conventions.

Michigan’s system does not hide nominations from voters. But it does require participation inside party structures.

For those who want influence, the door is open — at the precinct level. For those who don’t engage, the decisions will still be made.

The difference is who is in the room when it happens.

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Sources

Michigan Election Law (Act 116 of 1954, Chapter XXV)

• MCL 168.591 – State conventions for nomination of candidates
• MCL 168.592 – County conventions for election of state convention delegates
• MCL 168.595 – Apportionment and election of delegates to state conventions
• MCL 168.596 – Definition of fall and spring conventions

Available through the Michigan Legislature: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-116-1954-XXV.pdf

Michigan Republican Party

• 2026 State Endorsement Convention – March 28, 2026, Novi (county convention procedures and delegate selection rules)
• Official Call to the 2026 Michigan Republican State Nominating Convention – August 22, 2026, Mt. Pleasant

Available at: https://mi.gop/endorsement-convention and https://mi.gop/

Michigan Democratic Party

• 2026 Call to Endorsement Convention – April 19, 2026, Detroit (county and district convention requirements, membership and credentialing rules)
• 2026 Call to Nominating Convention – August 29, 2026, Lansing (fall county and district convention requirements, membership deadline and voting eligibility for the legally required nomination)

Available through the Michigan Democratic Party: https://michigandems.com/convention/

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