Michigan’s Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced her bid for governor on Wednesday morning. But she has shown repeatedly she is unfit to govern the state.
Michigan’s governor must take an oath to “support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this state.” Considering Benson’s history — from colluding with “Zuckbucks” groups to tampering with elections to making authoritarian threats — she cannot take this oath in good faith.
In the race for governor, Benson faces Democrat Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, running as an independent, and Republican state Sen. Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt.
‘Zuckbucks’ Collusion
Benson has a history of working with groups connected to “Zuckbucks,” the scheme that flooded leftist nonprofits with millions to boost Democrat turnout in 2020.
The Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) accepted nearly $70 million from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2020 and funneled the money to local election offices in primarily Democrat areas. Zuckerberg also funneled money through the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), so the election funding totaled nearly $400 million.
The National Vote at Home Institute, which repeatedly conspired with CTCL to influence election administration, worked with Benson to change voting rules. As The Federalist reported, the group’s then-CEO Amber McReynolds suggested to Benson in 2019 that she use “rule-making authority” to enable “permanent or election specific absentee requests” without any “legislative change.” Benson ultimately mailed absentee ballot applications statewide in 2020.
In September 2020, the same year in which it used “Zuckbucks” to influence elections, CEIR sent $12 million to the Michigan Center for Election Law and Administration — which Benson had led until February of that year. According to InfluenceWatch, Benson’s former group then sent $11 million in “consulting fees” to Democrat firms for so-called “nonpartisan voter education.”
In 2024 Benson continued to work with CEIR ahead of November’s election. She hosted its founder and executive director, David Becker — known as a “hard-core leftist” — in July to lecture residents on election “security and safety,” thanking him for his work “to strengthen our democracy.”
Election Tampering
Benson’s campaign website calls her a “national expert on voting rights.” The site further states, “As Secretary of State she has transformed our democracy, ensured free and fair, transparent and secure elections … and implemented reforms to protect the safety and security of every person regardless of their race, gender, faith, or sexuality.”
On the first count, correct — she has certainly “transformed our democracy” in Michigan but by tampering with voting rules. As for the rest of the claims, Benson’s history shows they are patently false.
Benson has faced repeated election integrity lawsuits over issues that include the state’s severely bloated voter rolls, last-minute poll worker restrictions, guidance causing “thousands” of improperly processed ballots, and a lack of signature verification. In September of last year, she refused to tell Congress if dead registrants were still on Michigan’s voter rolls.
When billionaire Elon Musk asked whether Michigan had more registered voters than eligible citizens, Benson tried to debunk him — incorrectly citing data in the process. She cited the “voting age population” as “citizens of voting age,” making the disparity between eligible citizens and registered voters appear smaller than in reality. And while she claimed 1.2 million registrations were slated for removal, only half that number were set for removal by 2027.
Six secretaries of state, including Benson, agreed to fight a so-called “common adversary” in November’s election. When The Federalist asked what — or who — this adversary might be, Benson’s office did not reply.
Benson fought Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to remove his name from November’s ballot in Michigan, potentially aiming to help Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances against Trump. He still won the state.
When a Chinese national allegedly voted at the University of Michigan in November, officials still counted the ballot — even though he now faces criminal charges. And as of last month, he was still on the state voter rolls.
Authoritarian Rhetoric
Benson has repeatedly made threats toward political dissenters. As The Federalist reported before November’s election, she asked residents to report others to a government email address for speech deemed “misinformation.” Just days after this revelation, state Attorney General Dana Nessel — also a Democrat — threatened to prosecute a woman for posting allegedly “misleading or false” election information online.
Benson also threatened “legal consequences” if local election officials hesitate to certify November’s results. When a Kalamazoo canvasser later said he would certify election results if accurate, leftist groups descended to wage lawfare.
In Benson’s video announcing her bid for governor, she bragged about “investigating radical extremist groups.” Using the standard of her former employer, the Southern Poverty Law Center, this could include conservative and religious freedom groups.
“We need leaders who are transparent and accountable,” Benson said in the video. Considering Benson’s history, these words do not describe her.
Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He is a spring 2025 fellow of The College Fix. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo’s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.
Jesus Christ is King
