Jocelyn Benson was formally nominated for secretary of state at the Democratic Party state convention in Detroit Sunday and went on the offensive against her Republican opponent, Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson, who was nominated for the post at Saturday's Republican convention in East Lansing.
Benson's campaign released the following statement:
"Yesterday the Michigan Republican Party nominated Ruth Johnson as their candidate for Secretary of State. Benson spokesperson Meagan Pitts said, “Ruth Johnson has yet to present a real plan for the Secretary of State’s office and our citizens deserve more. Worse yet, over the last several months, Jocelyn challenged Johnson to take an ‘Oath of Non-Partisanship’: a vow that as Secretary of State she would not endorse any candidates or chair any campaigns, because the Secretary of State must be a neutral judge in the election process. Benson also challenged Johnson to support campaign finance reforms that would rid our state of foreign corporate campaign cash. Johnson’s silence on these issues has been deafening.”
Benson also emphasized that, “Johnson represents politics as usual. I again call on Johnson to just say, ‘yes’ to the initiatives I have proposed that would bring the real change Michigan’s citizens need. Times are tough, and I will do all I can to use the Secretary of State’s office to help people do more with less – whether it be delivering expanded job and small business related services, decreasing the time one spends receiving routine Secretary of State services, ridding the elections system of special interest and foreign cash, eliminating the unfair driver’s responsibility fee, or making voting easier and keeping the system free of fraud.”
“I’ve dedicated my life to voter advocacy, fairness, and reform. From my work at the Southern Poverty Law Center to my efforts to block Secretary of State branch office closures to my background in election law and commitment to being an advocate for ordinary people, I am uniquely qualified to make Michigan’s Secretary of State office the best in the country. Throughout my career I have fought to protect the right to vote and ensure that our election process is free of partisan politics. As Secretary of State I will work tirelessly to clean up our elections and make sure that the powerful and foreign corporate interests cannot buy our elected officials, and I will ensure that the office works in every way it can to support citizens during these challenging economic times,” said Benson.
Benson is a tenured elections law professor at Wayne State University Law School. She also is the author of a ground-breaking book on the best practices among Secretaries of State across the nation. For more information on Jocelyn Benson’s campaign for Secretary of State, visit www.votebenson.com.
Benson's nomination Sunday was mostly a formality. Democrats held an endorsement meeting in April to pick their candidates.
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