Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Tuesday hosted her latest “Purpose Driven Community Conversation” in Ann Arbor, where she talked up her accomplishments and consoled Democrats on a devastating loss at the polls last month.

“It’s been quite a month. It’s going to be quite a few months to come, maybe quite a few years,” Benson told an array of Democratic officials and locals who attended “community town hall.” “Really wanted to create a space for us to get together and talk to each other, and listen to each other, and for us to hear from you about your worries, concerns, thoughts, needs for the months ahead.”

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Benson was joined by state Reps. Jason Morgan, D-Ann Arbor, Jennifer Conlin, D-Ann Arbor, Carrie Rheingans, D-Ann Arbor, state Sens. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, and Sue Shink, D-Northfield Twp., and other local elected officials.

The event was livestreamed by The Midwesterner, though Benson’s staff said the Secretary of State’s future public town hall events would be “closed to the press.”

At the event, transparency and communication were among the themes Benson highlighted on Tuesday.

“I think so much of this moment, and particularly the next few years, it’s going to be important for us to break through potential walls of isolation that may be built up through divisions or discord, chaos and confusion that can be created in lots of different ways,” she said, “and really come together and be together and really share each other’s stories and build that community and connectivity.”

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The event comes as potential candidates to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer jockey for position ahead of the 2026 contest, with polling showing Benson trails Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support from Democrats.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was the first candidate to announce a campaign for governor earlier this month, with a switch from Democrat to Independent to “offer people a choice.”

The announcement came with a promise to tour Michigan and listen to the problems facing voters across the state, prompting scorn from Benson in the media and online, where she launched her own “community conversations” tour focused Michigan’s urban communities.

It’s unclear whether Benson’s community conversations are funded by taxpayers through her official capacity as Secretary of State or as part of her anticipated campaign for governor. Benson’s spokeswoman, Angela Benander, did not respond to an inquiry from The Midwesterner about how the events are funded.

Regardless, Benson framed the 2024 election that propelled President-elect Donald Trump to a second term in the White House and flipped control of the Michigan House to Republicans as a great success.

Benson pointed to a state record of 5.7 million voters in 2024, including 3.3 million who cast ballots before Election Day.

“I thought it was a great reflection of our success … to make folks know about those (early voting) options and ensure they did, and also ensure that everyone had access and a safe way to whatever option they chose,” she said. “Though we’re now pushing 80% of turnout … we are on track to actually just keep that going, as long as those policies are in place and we have good professional administrators in place.

“So my hope is that 2026 beats our midterm turnout in 2022, which was our highest midterm turnout election ever,” Benson said.

Benson also highlighted 800,000 first time voters in November, and harped on the “voices of misinformation” in the presidential election and beyond.

“We really saw how important it is for all of us to combat that misinformation,” said Benson, who launched a hotline for Michiganders to report their neighbors in 2024. “The work ahead, in part, is going to be also about helping to restore folks’ confidence not just in the voting process, but also in government itself.”

Democrats at the event also updated attendees on the waning days of the lame duck session, when Morgan said the party is “trying to push through really good things in a short timeline.”

Morgan pointed to legislation on opting out of subscription services, holding gun manufacturer’s liable for crimes they didn’t commit, ghost guns, expanding unemployment, and limits on landlords considering income sources, and protections for LGBTQ residents and abortion providers.

Irwin and others also spoke about how Democrats are working to lock in laws to avoid changes by Republicans who were elected to a House majority by voters last month, such as efforts to shield abortion data.

Moving forward, Shink said it will be critical to work across the aisle in the next legislative session, with or without the cooperation of Republicans.

“One of the things we can do as elected officials … is try to work on what are those shared priorities?” she said. “One of the things my chief of staff and I have been doing, and we’re working on as we go forward in this next session is developing an agenda of shared values that aren’t partisan.”

“We’re going to work on that bipartisan agenda. Whether the other party works with us or not, is not my, you know, we’re going to do this,” Shink said. “We’re going to address people’s needs, and see where that goes.”

The Tuesday event featured several questions from attendees, as well, providing opportunities for Benson to discuss her work with the disgraced Southern Poverty Law Center, her focus on speaking “truth to power,” and “standing up to Elon Musk.”

Benson also managed to vet a few potential slogans for her anticipated campaign.

“The bottom line is that the people, and the power of the people, will always be greater than the people in power,” she said.