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Democrat

Jocelyn Benson

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Democrat

Jocelyn Benson

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Michigan Democratic Governor nominee?

$62.0K

AUG 5, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleSecretary of State

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyLiberal Democrat

Age48 years old (Oct 22, 1977)

GenderFemale

LocationMichigan

BackgroundPolitician

EducationHarvard Law School (JD)

Notable personal detailsJocelyn Michelle Benson is an American politician and attorney who has served as Michigan’s 43rd Secretary of State since 2019. She previously served as dean of Wayne State University Law School (2012–2016) and has worked as a civil-rights and election-law scholar. Benson is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has been active in supporting military families through Military Spouses of Michigan.

SourcesShow

michigan.gov en.wikipedia.org wikidata.org jocelynbenson.com onyourballot.vote411.org detroitchamber.com legislature.mi.gov linkedin.com jcbenson.com ivoterguide.com congressweb.com www6.twstalker.com linktr.ee es.wikipedia.org multistate.us influencewatch.org nass.org arxiv.org interlochen.org michiganadvance.com ourmidland.com detroitnews.com michiganpublic.org apnews.com themidwesterner.news michigannewssource.com nwlcactionfund.org cbsnews.com michiganlcv.org michiganchronicle.com kiplinger.com uppermichiganssource.com bridgemi.com arabamericannews.com metrotimes.com facebook.com uaw.org wtvbam.com reproductivefreedomforall.org giffords.org freep.com ms.now wlns.com wdet.org deadlinedetroit.com clickondetroit.com miaflcio.org justfacts.votesmart.org congress.gov peters.senate.gov govinfo.gov ballotready.org docs.house.gov rules.senate.gov cha.house.gov judiciary.senate.gov nga.org history.house.gov murphy.senate.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Supports making Michigan more affordable through public investments in housing, healthcare, childcare, and education while prioritizing efficient, transparent government and economic development reform; opposes providing tax breaks as the primary tool to attract business and emphasizes workforce/talent development instead.

Healthcare

Supports expanding access and affordability through stronger implementation and funding of public programs (including protecting Medicaid coverage), establishing drug price and health care affordability boards, boosting the health care workforce, and improving reproductive and maternal health access. Focuses on administrative reforms at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to reduce coverage gaps and increase enrollment navigation and community outreach.

Immigration & Border

The candidate has defended recognizing asylum-seekers as having lawful presence for purposes like state licensing and emphasized verifying legal presence before issuing licenses. Her public statements and office communications use humanitarian language for migrants while following verification procedures rather than endorsing expanded enforcement measures. There is no evidence of support for major restrictionist or large-scale deportation policies in the sourced materials.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Supports protecting and expanding abortion and reproductive health access, including codifying state-level protections and making reproductive care practically accessible across Michigan. Emphasizes strengthening access in rural areas and increasing support for maternal and reproductive health services. Opposes the rollback of Roe v. Wade and calls for legal protections to ensure access does not depend on location.

Climate & Energy

Supports clean energy transitions and policies to lower electricity costs while allowing responsible economic development; favors guardrails for energy‑intensive projects (like data centers) to protect water and limit energy cost impacts and has taken administrative action against groups opposing clean energy transparency.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 17, 2026

Jocelyn Benson is drawing attention as the frontrunner in Michigan’s Democratic governor primary. A new poll puts her far ahead of Chris Swanson, 71.7% to 11.9%, with the Aug. 4 primary approaching. She also skipped a televised debate in Detroit, saying she had a prior event with educators. After Mike Duggan ended his independent campaign, the race narrowed and Benson said she welcomed his supporters into her campaign.

michigan.gov+58

Articles

MLM Live Michigan 10 days ago

Poll shows Benson with big lead in Democratic governor’s race primary

Positive

WCWDIV ClickOnDetroit11 days ago

Where do Michigan Democratic voters stand in the gubernatorial race? Here are the poll results

Positive

MLM Live Michigan 2 months ago

Jocelyn Benson won’t appear in televised governor’s debate ahead of Democratic primary

Negative

BNBaltimore News2 months ago

Ex-Detroit mayor suspends independent campaign for Michigan governor

Positive

Polls

Michigan Democratic Governor nominee?

Polling Average

80%60%40%20%0%

57.4%

12.7%

7.1%

J. Benson

G. Gilchrist

C. Swanson

Date (Start - End)	Spread	Benson	Gilchrist	Swanson
Polling Average	Benson+44.7	57.4%	12.7%	7.1%
Glengariff GroupJul 8 - 11	Benson+59.8	71.7%	–	11.9%
Mitchell Research & CommunicationsMay 1 - 7	Benson+54.0	62.0%	–	8.0%
Glengariff GroupApr 17 - 19	Benson+57.9	66.0%	–	8.1%
Emerson CollegeApr 11 - 13	Benson+47.1	51.7%	–	4.6%
Mitchell Research & CommunicationsNov 18 - 21	Benson+36.0	48.0%	12.0%	5.0%
Rosetta Stone CommunicationsOct 23 - 25	Benson+43.0	58.0%	15.0%	6.0%
Impact ResearchSep 30 - Oct 6	Benson+39.0	56.0%	17.0%	5.0%
Glengariff GroupMay 5 - 8	Benson+51.2	59.3%	6.9%	8.1%
Mitchell Research & CommunicationsMar 13 - 13	Benson+33.0	46.0%	13.0%	11.0%
Target InsyghtMar 3 - 6	Benson+43.0	55.0%	12.0%	3.0%

Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne

Fundraising