ICYMI: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson Highlights Thrive in Michigan Agenda in Bear Lake
This week, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson launched her statewide Thrive in Michigan tour to share her plans to make Michigan the best place to be a kid, raise a kid, and call home. Achieving that goal starts with putting someone in the governor’s office who knows how to make state government work well for everyone and has a proven successful track record for doing so.
Benson highlighted her experience taking broken systems and turning them into transparent, efficient programs that work well for everyone, and her willingness to stand up against anyone to get things done for Michiganders, while also working with anyone who is interested in delivering on issues like housing affordability, child care, and the cost of groceries.
Key point: Benson said much of a governor’s role includes working with the Legislature, being open to compromise and “work across the aisle… also a willingness to look within your agency, improve efficiencies, cut wasteful spending and ensure we’re being good stewards of every taxpayer dollar that comes our way,” she said. “That’s how we also can deliver results but do so in a way that aligns with what the people of Michigan want.”
Manistee News Advocate: Jocelyn Benson’s gubernatorial campaign stops in Bear Lake
[Arielle Breen, 6/17/2025]
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson visited Manistee County on Tuesday during her gubernatorial campaign trip.
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Benson started out by highlighting her roles as Michigan’s secretary of state, a daughter of special education teachers, a military spouse and a mother of her 9-year-old son.
“Everything over the next 10 years is going to define his childhood, his future and the childhood and the futures of our loved ones all across this state,” she said. “So I also come to this with a sense of urgency.”
She told the News Advocate that she wants to make Michigan a place where residents choose to raise their families in 10 years and a place that can give those kids the best childhood they can have.
“That’s why we talk about making Michigan the best place to be a kid, to raise a kid and call home, whether that’s good schools, access to quality child care or simply making sure that no matter what you want to do with your life you can do it here in our state,” she said.
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She touted the work done to revamp secretary of state offices around Michigan to offer faster and more accessible services by listening and supporting staff making sure they have the tools needed to do their jobs.
“When I took office, they said we could not reform those branches, we could not deliver better customer service and I went all around to every single branch in the state and saw firsthand how unacceptable it was that people had to wait in line hours for just the basic services within our state,” she said. “We can eliminate bureaucracy, we can cut wasteful spending.”
Benson told the News Advocate that one thing she learned as secretary of state is that too much “red tape” can get in the way of people accessing services like child care subsidies or other support.
State residents have voiced concerns over burdensome fees, certifications and other stipulations on housing, child care facilities and small businesses.
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In Bear Lake, audience members raised questions on issues such as educational funding, child care, health care, state independence and election contingency plans.
When asked about rural education funding for busing and certain programs, Benson said a key piece is to “be more mindful of the unique needs” of different schools in the state and make sure to not use a “one-size-fits-all” funding model.
“It starts with recommitting to a state budget that will increase in a strategic way the funding our schools need,” she said. “Because that a school needs in Alpena or in a rural area like this one may be different than a school in Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo.”
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In a News Advocate interview, Benson said much of a governor’s role includes working with the Legislature, being open to compromise and “work across the aisle.”
“And also a willingness to look within your agency, improve efficiencies, cut wasteful spending and ensure we’re being good stewards of every taxpayer dollar that comes our way,” she said. “That’s how we also can deliver results but do so in a way that aligns with what the people of Michigan want.”
Benson announced her campaign in January.
“We’re working right now to meet with folks all across the state to talk about how a vision for making Michigan the best place to call home means certain things to different communities,” she said. “We’re talking and listening — one thing I think Democrats need to do better which is showing up, listening and then developing plans to get stuff done.”