Jocelyn Benson is a transformational leader who never backs down from big fights. From her early years investigating extremist groups, to making Michigan’s motor vehicle department a national model for government efficiency, Jocelyn has defied preconceived notions of what is possible in public service. A fearless advocate for Michigan, Jocelyn will bring accountability, people-driven solutions and a progressive vision for Michigan’s future to make our state the best place to be a kid, raise a kid, stay, and call home.

The daughter of two special education teachers and raised in a working-class family, her parents instilled the values of hard work, opportunity, and serving others. She took those values with her when, as a student at Wellesley College, she was the first college student ever to be elected to the governing body for the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts. After college, Jocelyn went to Alabama to investigate undercover domestic terrorist cells that had emerged following the Oklahoma City bombing, then to the United Kingdom where she studied the international links of modern, white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements, and finally to Detroit, where she continued her commitment of service and civil rights through a clerkship with the Honorable Damon J. Keith. 

At 35 she was appointed dean of Wayne State University Law School, making her the youngest woman to lead an accredited law school in American history. As Dean she raised significant funds to ensure all students could pay for their education, lowered costs by freezing tuition and expanding scholarships, and built a team rooted in honesty, integrity, and service of people. As a result Wayne Law became one of the country’s leading law schools.

When Jocelyn became Secretary of State in 2019, she got to work on day 1 to make life easier for every Michigander. Under her leadership, operations at the Secretary of State’s Office drastically improved, and the department went from having some of the longest wait times in the country to a model for state services. She eliminated wait times, created over 150 self-service stations to serve Michiganders in every corner of the state, all while implementing initiatives to make Michigan’s elections the most secure and accessible in the nation. And, in the face of threats to both herself and her colleagues, Jocelyn oversaw two of the highest turnout and most transparent elections in the state’s history.

Jocelyn knows firsthand that the government only works well if it works for the people.

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