Benson Cites State Department Reforms as Blueprint for Governor Campaign
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson defends her government reform record while campaigning for Michigan governor, despite criticism over a costly transparency portal.
LANSING, MICHIGAN — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson outlined her governing philosophy as she campaigns for Michigan governor, emphasizing that effective government should intervene when needed while stepping back when unnecessary.
“I say that at a time where it kind of feels like, especially at the federal level, government is showing up everywhere we don’t want it and nowhere we actually need it,” Benson said in an interview with the Michigan Advance.
Track Record in State Office
Benson has anchored her gubernatorial campaign on her seven-year tenure managing Michigan elections and implementing efficiency reforms across motor vehicle offices statewide. She frames her experience transforming the Department of State as evidence of her ability to lead Michigan as governor.
“As secretary of state I’ve actually shown that we can flip that when it comes to, even as I did, inheriting a broken bureaucracy,” Benson said. “We can transform seemingly entrenched, broken systems and make them actually work well for people.”
Transparency Portal Faces Criticism
Benson’s time in office has drawn scrutiny over Michigan’s multimillion-dollar campaign finance and lobbying transparency portal launched by her department last year. Critics heavily criticized the new system for being clunky and providing less information compared to the previous antiquated version when initially released.
The new campaign finance disclosure system was described as a mess by some observers, despite the significant financial investment in its development. Bridge Michigan reported extensive criticism of the portal’s functionality and user experience.
Defending Reform Efforts
Benson has defended the transparency portal, claiming the updated system now makes Michigan more transparent than before and provides enhanced information compared to the old campaign finance disclosure system. She acknowledged that major technology overhauls typically encounter initial problems.
“Those types of big challenges don’t come without hiccups, but I’m really proud that we’ve navigated those short-” Benson said, according to the interview excerpt.
The secretary of state continues promoting her record of transforming government operations as central to her argument for becoming Michigan’s next governor. Her campaign emphasizes practical governance approaches based on her experience managing state election systems and departmental reforms.
