Anthony Forlini

Anthony Forlini graduated from Fraser High School. Forlini earned a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University in 1984 and a graduate degree from Western Michigan University. Forlini's professional experience includes working as a Certified Financial Planner and being the president of Design Financial.

Forlini also served as Harrison Township Supervisor from 2004 to 2010.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Anthony is a lifelong resident of Macomb County and proud native of St. Clair Shores. He is a product of local schools. Anthony attended St. Germaine Elementary and graduated from Fraser High School before earning a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University.

Married to Diane Forlini for 40 years, they are parents to three children. All of their children have successful careers. They are proud grandparents to four grandchildren. Anthony is deeply rooted in his community in both faith and service.

Most recently, in 2025, the Macomb County Clerk’s Office under the leadership of Anthony received two national awards from Tyler Technologies for innovation and operational efficiency. His organization was the only one in Michigan to win an award and the only one in the country to win two out of 5,000 eligible municipalities nationwide.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Election Integrity That Builds Public Confidence: Election security isn’t partisan. It is foundational and necessary for a health election process. My focus is practical: strengthen safeguards, standardize best practices, and make it easier for the public to trust the process. I support voting systems that are secure, auditable, and protected from avoidable vulnerabilities. Election integrity is achieved through standards and competence, not slogans. This means consistent procedures across jurisdictions, training and support for election workers so elections are run confidently and correctly, and transparent processes that help answer honest questions and reduce confusion. We must also ensure our voter roles are clean and accurate.Transparency For Michigan Residents: Trust grows when the public can verify procedures and understand what’s happening. I will push for: Clear public explanations of election processes and safeguards, tools that make records requests more straightforward and timely, and implement transparency practices that reduce speculation by answering questions with facts.High-Performing Office That Respects Your Time:

Michigan residents deserve reliable service and clear communication. I will focus on: Service standards with measurable turnaround expectations, modernization that’s careful, stable, and resident-first, and less bureaucracy, better communication, and systems designed around the public—not around the agency

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am a lifelong Macomb resident who has held positions as a Township Supervisor, State Representative, Public Works Operations Manager, and County Clerk. I am passionate about responsible public policy that protects taxpayers and instills trust in the electoral process.

Campaign websiteForlini's campaign website stated the following:A Secretary of State Office Michigan Can Trust:​Secure Elections, Transparent Standards, Real Results The Michigan Secretary of State is one of the state’s most important trust offices.It oversees elections andIt manages details affecting daily life through service delivery across the state.Anthony G. Forlini’s priorities are simple:protect election integrity, strengthen transparency, enforce the rule of law, and run a high-performing office that respects the public.Priority 1: Election Integrity That Builds Public ConfidenceElection security isn’t partisan. It is foundational and necessary for a health election process. ​Anthony’s focus is practical: strengthen safeguards, standardize best practices, and make it easier for the public to trust the process.Tabulators: secure, verifiable, and properly controlled​Anthony supports voting systems that are secure, auditable, and protected from avoidable vulnerabilities. That means:Results reporting that avoids unnecessary exposure to the internet (eliminating avoidable pathways)Strong chain-of-custody standards and physical security for equipment and ballotsRoutine validation and documentation so systems are demonstrably consistent and trustworthy (including integrity checks)Post-election processes that reinforce confidence through transparency and verificationElection integrity: consistent safeguards + trained peopleAnthony believes integrity is achieved through standards and competence, not slogans:Consistent procedures across jurisdictionsTraining and support for election workers so elections are run confidently and correctlyTransparent processes that help answer honest questions and reduce confusionCleaning the voter rolls: accurate, lawful, and careful ​Voter rolls must be accurate and maintained in a way that follows the law and protects eligible voters:Regular cleanup for deceased voters and outdated recordsClear documentation and due process safeguardsCoordination with local clerks so maintenance is consistent statewidePriority 2: Transparency Michigan Residents Can SeeTrust grows when the public can verify procedures and understand what’s happening.Anthony will push for:Clear public explanations of election processes and safeguardsTools that make records requests more straightforward and timely​Transparency practices that reduce speculation by answering questions with factsPriority 3: Accountability and Rule of LawThe Secretary of State must be committed to the rule of law, due process, and clear accountability—and must lead in a way the public can measure.Anthony will:Enforce election law consistently, fairly and evenlyRefer credible violations appropriately and work with law enforcement/prosecutors when warrantedPublish clear standards and performance expectationsMeasure performance, report progress, and fix what isn’t workingPriority 4: A High-Performing Office That Respects Your TimeMichigan residents deserve reliable service and clear communication. Anthony will focus on:Service standards with measurable turnaround expectationsModernization that’s careful, stable, and resident-firstLess bureaucracy, better communication, and systems designed around the public—not around the agencyProven ActionsAnthony Forlini has publicly highlighted the following actions taken under his leadership:Added watermarks to tabulator paper ballotsTurned off modems used to transmit tabulator results through the internet (first county in the state, per the county bulletin)Conducted a forensic audit of the election server, including integrity validation steps (per county bulletin)Enabled tabulator ballot scanning to support easier FOIA requestsTrained 700+ election workers to improve competence and consistency Removed hundreds of deceased voters (over age 100) from the voter rolls— Anthony Forlini's campaign website (August 27, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Campaign ads

"Anthony Forlini's Plan for Faster Michigan Secretary of State Service" – Forlini campaign ad, released August 11, 2026

"Michigan Secretary of State: Anthony Forlini’s Plan for Better Service" – Forlini campaign ad, released August 7, 2026

"Anthony Forlini Fights to Win" – Forlini campaign ad, released March 25, 2026

"Convention Video" – Forlini campaign ad, released March 18, 2026

View more ads here:

YouTube

The following issues were listed on Forlini's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

Fiscal Discipline and Budgets: With my experience in small business, financial planning, and the State Legislature, I have the skills to reform government spending in Washington.

Jobs and the Economy: My years as a small business owner have taught me how government regulation can hurt our local business owners. I have fought to promote Michigan's talented workforce and brought jobs back to our state from overseas.

National Security: ​The federal government is charged with protecting its citizens and providing for national security. In Washington, I will promote a strong military to protect our country and defend liberty and freedom.

homeland Security and Immigration: ​We have lost sight of what it means to be an American with Obama's failed immigration plan. We need updated policies to strengthen our border and protect against evolving threats to our homeland.

Personal Liberty and Family Values​: Strong family values will help correct many of the problems facing society today. In Washington, I will work to defend family values and will defend your inalienable rights and freedoms given by to you by the Constitution.

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—Anthony Forlini's campaign website, http://www.anthonyforlini.com/issues.html