Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who vowed an Oath of Nonpartisanship, took a break from “protecting the will of the people” to campaign with Women for Harris on Wednesday.
“I’m here today with a simple message for all of you,” Benson said in a virtual appearance. “We can’t forget that we’re in the middle of a battle over the future of our democracy and our fundamental rights and our freedoms, and that this election is one that will determine that future for generations to come.”
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who previously claimed she would sign an "oath of nonpartisanship," spoke at a Women for Harris event Wednesday night: pic.twitter.com/EAVDUmzDCl
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Benson, who is angling to replace Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, harkened back to her experience as a “hate crimes” investigator for the Southern Poverty Law Center to allege America is “facing a very real threat and … very serious coordinated effort that I can say I’ve seen firsthand in Michigan to roll back not just those advancements from the Voting Rights Act, but really democracy itself.”
Benson pointed to the “challenging moment” in the 2020 election when she “had to stand up to the former president when he lied about me and our elections.” and added: “In this moment, it’s important to remember how many forces are at play who don’t want that simple promise that we as American citizens get to choose our leaders to continue play out as the law of the land.”
She added: “This election cycle is already filled with mudslinging and misinformation, all designed to discourage us from even believing in our own voices and the power of our votes.”
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Benson’s comments at the partisan political event in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential bid stands in stark contrast to her vow of nonpartisanship when she first ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State in 2010.
“I firmly believe that our Secretary of State must operate the office in a nonpartisan manner,” her campaign website read at the time. “That’s why upon taking office I will take an Oath of Nonpartisaship, pledging to the citizens of Michigan a neutral and nonpartisan administration. That means you won’t find me co-chairing any campaigns or endorsing any candidates in elections over which I will serve as the final certifier of election results.”
Not only has Benson since endorsed candidates, she’s actively worked to defend the interests of Democrats on the campaign trail, in the courtroom, and through her official role as Secretary of State.
While campaigning for Democrats, Benson has actively promoted election misinformation by falsely alleging former President Donald Trump would sign a nationwide abortion ban if elected, a lie the 45th POTUS has repeatedly debunked.
Benson has also fought against lawsuits to purge the state’s bloated voter rolls of ineligible voters, and to align her election guidance with the state’s constitution, with the latter issue resulting in seven separate courts ruling her guidance violated the law.
As Secretary of State, Benson blocked Independent candidate Cornel West from appearing on Michigan’s 2024 presidential ballot to limit competition with Harris, although multiple courts, including the Michigan Supreme Court, overturned the decision and ordered West back on the ballot.
“Secretary Benson routinely makes these decisions and provides directives that are contrary to law or not in law,” Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton, told The Midwesterner. “In fact you know we e even know her to violate the Constitution. She talks a lot about misinformation but she really is a champion of misinforming.”
Former Republican SOS and current state Sen. Ruth Johnson, in an interview with The Midwesterner, referred to Benson as Michigan’s most partisan Secretary of State in recent memory.
Benson also faces criticism over arrangements with the Biden-Harris administration to promote voting through Small Business Administration offices and Veterans Affairs sites in Michigan that have been concentrated in Democratic strongholds.
It’s a similar situation with Benson’s youth voter outreach, which has involved partnerships with liberal groups for events in Lansing, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Marquette, Traverse City, Highland Park and Battle Creek – all areas that voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden in 2020.
Despite the obvious partisanship, Benson told MSNBC on Wednesday she counts herself among election officials who have “doubled down on our commitment to being professional, bipartisan, and ensuring transparent and secure elections continue to be the rule of the land.”