Meet Jocelyn

Jocelyn Benson is a transformational leader who never backs down from big fights. From her early years investigating extremist groups, to making Michigan’s motor vehicle department a national model for government efficiency, Jocelyn has defied preconceived notions of what is possible in public service. A fearless advocate for Michigan, Jocelyn will bring accountability, people-driven solutions and a progressive vision for Michigan’s future to make our state the best place to be a kid, raise a kid, stay, and call home.

Jocelyn’s Story

The daughter of two special education teachers and raised in a working-class family, her parents instilled the values of hard work, opportunity, and serving others. She took those values with her when, as a student at Wellesley College, where she was the first college student ever to be elected to the governing body for the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts. After college, Jocelyn went to Alabama to investigate undercover domestic terrorist cells that had emerged following the Oklahoma City bombing, then to the United Kingdom where she studied the international links of modern, white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements, and finally to Detroit, where she continued her commitment of service and civil rights through a clerkship with the Honorable Damon J. Keith. 

At 35 she was appointed dean of Wayne State University Law School, making her the youngest woman to lead an accredited law school in American history. As Dean she raised significant funds to ensure all students could pay for their education, lowered costs by freezing tuition and expanding scholarships, and built a team rooted in honesty, integrity, and service of people. As a result Wayne Law became one of the country’s leading law schools.

Jocelyn brought that same determination and work ethic to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.

When Jocelyn became Secretary of State in 2019, she got to work on day 1 to make life easier for every Michigander. Under her leadership, operations at the Secretary of State’s Office drastically improved, and the department went from having some of the longest wait times in the country to a model for state services. She eliminated wait times, created over 150 self-service stations to serve Michiganders in every corner of the state, all while implementing initiatives to make Michigan’s elections the most secure and accessible in the nation. And, in the face of threats to both herself and her colleagues, Jocelyn oversaw two of the highest turnout and most transparent elections in the state’s history.

Jocelyn knows firsthand that the government only works well if it works for the people.

That’s why she’s running to be the next governor of Michigan. 

She will bring real solutions, not political games, conspiracy theories, or inaction. That means making government more efficient for working families, whether it’s saving them time when accessing government services, or saving them money by standing up to special interests. It means both listening to the concerns of Michiganders, and actually taking action to fix it. And it means investing in our state’s future so Michigan is a place where anyone can be a kid, raise a kid, have access to the health care and housing they need, and where our businesses and communities thrive.

Jocelyn knows how to win tough fights for the people, and she is a battle-tested leader with the strength and experience to get the job done. After leading the state’s second-largest agency, Jocelyn is ready to deliver substantial results for everyday Michiganders and finally bring the leadership required to solve the biggest issues Michigan faces today.