ICYMI: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson Opens Up About Miscarriage, Makes Health Care a Campaign Priority
Today, for the first time, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson shared the deeply personal story of her miscarriage in 2016 with the Associated Press ahead of the launch of her new book “The Purposeful Warrior”. She highlighted her fortune in having access to the medicare care, mental health care, trusted doctors, and familial support she needed, but acknowledged that for too many women in Michigan that support just isn’t there. Not because they don’t need it — but because politicians are taking it away.
Her interview comes just as federal funding cuts forced the closure of multiple Planned Parenthood clinics in Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula’s only location offering preventive screenings, STI testing, and abortion care.
Key point: “In Michigan, voters approved a ballot measure in 2022 to protect abortion access, in an election that also saw Democrats sweep statewide and legislative elections. But Benson said that protection isn’t enough. Step one is to incentivize talented physicians to work in Michigan, she said. Step two is to bolster reproductive health care in rural Michigan, she said, suggesting mobile clinics that can reach remote areas.”
Associated Press: Michigan governor candidate says miscarriage prompted her to prioritize reproductive health access
[Isabella Volmert, 5/6/2025]
Ahead of a nationally watched bid to become Michigan’s next governor, Democrat Jocelyn Benson is releasing a memoir this month that includes her first public discussion of a miscarriage she had about eight years ago — an experience she says will shape her commitment to increasing access to reproductive healthcare in the swing state.
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In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday’s release of her political memoir entitled, “The Purposeful Warrior,” Benson said miscarrying made her value easy access to reproductive health care in an emotional and difficult situation, something she wants to deliver for the state if elected.
“It opened my eyes to the need to not just protect reproductive freedom and rights, but actually make sure they’re real,” said Benson.
In a chapter entitled “Grit and Grace,” Benson describes finding out she was pregnant shortly after her son’s first birthday and shortly before she launched her bid for secretary of state in 2017. Waves of worry over the timing and elation over becoming a mother of two ensued. But just a day later, she began to miscarry.
She writes about the doctor’s appointment during her eighth week of pregnancy where she learned about her options: surgery, medication or stillbirth and what to expect as her miscarriage continued. By the following morning, she had miscarried on her own.
“The emotional impact of that stays with you for your whole life,” she told AP.
Benson said she struggled with shame and guilt, emotions she has learned many women experience.
“I want to tell my story to say it’s OK to tell yours as well,” she said.
In the years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, women seeking public office have shared personal stories of miscarriages and abortions. Democrats and Republicans alike have spoken about their pregnancies as reproductive and maternal health care became a central concern for Americans.
In Michigan, voters approved a ballot measure in 2022 to protect abortion access, in an election that also saw Democrats sweep statewide and legislative elections. But Benson said that protection isn’t enough.
Step one is to incentivize talented physicians to work in Michigan, she said. Step two is to bolster reproductive health care in rural Michigan, she said, suggesting mobile clinics that can reach remote areas.
She noted the recent closure of three Planned Parenthood locations in Michigan, including its only location in the Upper Peninsula. Some Planned Parenthood locations provide abortions in addition to services such as birth control, disease screenings and miscarriage management.