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Benson Running for Governor, Becoming 1st Dem in the Race

January 28, 2025

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has officially announced she’s running for governor, dropping a campaign video Wednesday morning touting her resume of investigating radical extremist groups, teaching civil rights and voting rights law and supporting government transparency.

Already, she’s secured an endorsement from Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand, a former legislator who vocally pushed for government transparency and disclosure reform.

“I am running for Governor because our state needs a bold leader who will save all Michiganders time and money, deliver real results that improve everyone’s lives, and protect our residents,” Benson said in a press release. “This campaign is about ensuring government is on your side.”

Wednesday afternoon, Benson spoke to members of the media inside the Department of State building in Lansing, where she filed to run for governor. She hugged a security officer while entering the building, where candidate interactions with the press traditionally take place outside. MIRS live-streamed Benson’s discussions with the media on Facebook.

She expressed that other candidates will “of course” be permitted to talk with the media inside going forward. She launched her campaign during the same week as President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“It’s not lost on me that this week has been challenging for a lot of residents, whether it’s been folks who are afraid and worried about the future of our state, worried about their own safety, worried about their kids’ safety, worried about their community’s safety . . . my view as governor is that our job will be to stand up to anyone, anywhere,” she said, adding that Wednesday was also the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

The ruling that formerly regarded abortion access as protected under the U.S. Constitution was overturned in summer 2022.

Moreover, Benson touted a “people-centered economic development” vision she had. She described wanting to ensure high school graduates have paid apprenticeship opportunities, work to make college more affordable and to invest in new industries coming to Michigan, like film and climate technology.

Benson’s announcement follows Tuesday evening’s social media post, which was quickly removed within minutes after thanking presumed supporters for backing a gubernatorial campaign.

Screenshots of the deleted post quickly circulated, as many political pundits have expected her to enter the 2026 governor’s race. The post was viewed as an accidental announcement. For example, Lansing-based public relations strategist Andrea Bitely said “this is how a digital firm gets fired and a candidate loses control of their campaign” on X. 

Benson’s official announcement Wednesday makes her the first major Democratic contender to enter the arena for 2026. Meanwhile, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced near the end of last year he would run as an independent, walking away from his past Democratic affiliations. Earlier this month, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) became the first major Republican to launch their campaign.

Her campaign launch came with a video of her jogging through Detroit, after hugging her son and husband. She talked about her husband’s military deployment to Afghanistan, working to freeze tuition and expand scholarships as Wayne State University’s law school dean and her efforts to eliminate long lines at Secretary of State branch offices.

“As I listen to people around our state, it’s clear that too many feel left out in the cold, their voices drowned out by more powerful ones,” Benson said in her video. “I’ve spent my life standing up to power interests, and I’ll keep standing up to any bullies and billionaires who try to deceive us, divide us, take away our rights or deny anyone the opportunity to get a fair shot.”

Her video was titled “Fair Shot,” and featured images of Trump, former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and tech business executive Elon Musk – a vocal Trump ally – when discussing “bullies and billionaires.”

Kollin Crompton, the Republican Governors Association’s rapid response director, said Wednesday marks the official start of Michigan’s Democratic primary. However, Crompton used the comment to give Duggan flack for deciding to run as an independent, describing it as a campaign where “only one candidate in the race is willing to admit they’re a Democrat.”

“None of this changes the reality that Mike Duggan and Jocelyn Benson are both running on the same failed policies that Michigan voters are looking to move past. Republicans look forward to watching the circus roll into Michigan.”

As for other questions and answers for Benson in Lansing, members of the media asked several questions:

FOX 47: There was a tweet that your office sent out last night, and it was deleted…did that force your hand to announce today? 

Benson: “I think people just got a little ahead of themselves, but that said, no, I’m proud to announce today. We have, as you can see, a very well-thought-out message in our launch video, a website that I’m really proud of that starts to lay out our priorities, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the support – the endorsements that we’re rolling out today, and will continue to roll out in the days ahead.”

MIRS: It seems like you’re being big on anti-Trump at the start of this campaign. Why should Trump voters vote for you? 

Benson: “If you’re hearing what I’m saying, I’m actually big on government efficiency and transparency. That’s what I’m focused on, and I’ll work with anyone on any side of the aisle who is similarly committed to using data to make government work better for everyone. And at the same time . . . I serve every single one of our Michigan residents, and no matter where they live or who they vote for, I want government to be on their side.”

MIRS: Republicans are already attacking you specifically about the U of M Chinese student that was able to vote. What’s your response to that? 

Benson: “We work whenever there’s any amount of fraud in the system, when people lie, when people aren’t honest about who they are . . . we find them, hold them accountable and ensure that we are seeking accountability, as we did in this case, and referring it to the local prosecutor who is pursuing the case.

“I’m also happy to work with lawmakers on a variety of proposals to continue to ensure we’re making it easier to vote and harder to cheat in our state, just as we’ve done throughout my tenure . . . but I’ll be clear, those discussions must be data-driven and fact-based, not driven by conspiracy theories or political agendas.”

Michigan Public Radio Network: How would you govern differently than Governor Whitmer?

Benson: “For me, the hallmark of my administration as Secretary of State and as governor will be efficiency and transparency, making sure we’ve got an efficient government that works well for everyone, and that every agency is effectively delivering.

“You know, we passed childcare subsidies, and we have . . . 300,000 of our families can have access to those subsidies, but only 30,000 are getting access to them, because we’re not actually connecting the dots from our policy to how things are administered.

“I’m an administrator. I know how to get things done. I know how to run large institutions.”

 

Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog newsletter

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