Garlin Gilchrist II
Former State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, who is running fo governor, has a problem in Detroit: name recognition. Many people don't know who she is.
So the Michigan Democratic Party leaders are scouting for a young black leader for the lieutenant governor post who could energize younger voters in the city, particularly those of color, writes Chad Livengood of Crain's Detroit Business.
He writes that some of the old guard like Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, who is interested in the job, may not inspire young voters in the city. Napoleon's name also surfaced in a Detroit News report on an FBI corruption investigation's list of "target subjects."
In January, Napoleon issued a statement : "I have been in contact with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and I have been assured that I am not the target or subject of any federal corruption investigation."
Still, Livengood notes that the Republican attack ads could mention the FBI probe, which could harm the ticket.
One strong candidate could be Garlin Gilchrist II , who took many by surprise last fall when he mounted a grassroots campaign to unseat City Clerk Janice Winfrey, Livengood writes. He lost, but not by much.
Gilchrist, who studied computer engineering at the University of Michigan, represents "a growing group of black Detroiters who have returned home to plant a stake in the city, Livengood writes.
