10/02/2024
From her early years investigating hate groups, to overseeing the most accessible and secure election in Michigan history, Jocelyn Benson has defied preconceived notions of what is possible in public service. That is particularly true when it comes to protecting election results from ‘deniers’ and defending American democracy.
Committed to the nonpartisan operation of the Secretary of State’s Office, Jocelyn has transformed its operations to provide faster and more convenient service for every Michigander. She has done this while ensuring that elections are free, fair, secure and accurate, and fighting to protect voting rights for all Michigan voters whether Republicans, Democrats or Independents.
Jocelyn is the daughter of two special education teachers and was raised in a working class family. She began redefining norms and challenging expectations as a student at Wellesley College, where she was the first college student to be elected to the governing body for the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts. After college she moved to Alabama to investigate undercover domestic terrorist cells that had emerged following the Oklahoma City bombing. That work led her to the United Kingdom where as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University, she studied the international links of modern, white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements.
At 35 she was appointed dean of Wayne State University Law School, becoming the youngest woman to lead an accredited top 100 law school in United States history. Benson later led a coalition of all major sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA and MLB, to empower athletes to advance equality and improve race relations in America. In 2015 she became one of the youngest women to be inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, second in age only to Serena Williams who was born in Saginaw.
A long-distance runner, Benson has completed 25 marathons and is one of a handful of women to have completed the Boston Marathon while more than eight months pregnant.
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