Jocelyn Benson wins Democratic primary for Michigan governor
AP projects secretary of state will face Rep. John James in November general election
LANSING, Mich. (WNDU/WILX/WNEM) - Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson won the Democratic primary for governor Tuesday, moving closer to succeeding term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The Associated Press declared Benson the winner at 9 p.m., with her holding approximately 84% of the vote over Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
The AP also projected Rep. John James as the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary. Benson and James will face each other in the Nov. 3 general election.
Benson has served as Michigan’s secretary of state since 2019. Her campaign says she became the youngest woman to lead an accredited law school in American history when she was appointed dean of Wayne State University Law School at age 35.
Her campaign lists several accomplishments from her time as secretary of state, including technology upgrades and online service expansions to make transactions more convenient, election worker recruitment campaigns, hundreds of election audits, and overseeing two of the highest voter turnout elections in state history. Her campaign also credits her with expanding voter access through programs targeting underrepresented voters.
Benson’s campaign platform centers on the following issues:
- Expanding rural healthcare options
- Building housing
- Challenging utility companies that raise rates
- Making childcare free
Her campaign says she is running to “make Michigan the best place to be a kid, raise a kid, and call home.”
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