John F Martin
When Jocelyn Benson won the 2018 Michigan secretary of state election, becoming the first Democrat to hold the position since the ’90s, not many people were paying attention to secretaries of state, which, among other duties, administer elections. But in the years since, as Republicans have weaponized baseless allegations of voter fraud to attack the electoral system and elect hyperpartisan conspiracy theorists as election administrators, secretary of state contests are more important than ever before. Benson herself, who was menaced by armed “stop the steal” protesters last year, has written about the need to stop the spread of misinformation and elect secretaries of state who are responsible stewards of democracy.
This threat is acute in Michigan’s upcoming secretary of state election. It’s not yet clear who the Republicans will nominate to oppose her, but the leading fundraiser is Donald Trump-endorsed Kristina Karamo, a conspiracy theorist who rose to prominence when she claimed to be a “whistleblower” who saw irregularities at the polls. The danger Karamo poses is a major reason why Blue Tent is recommending donors give to Benson and see supporting her candidacy as a high priority.
Below, we explore three key questions that small and medium donors should answer before supporting candidates. (See how we evaluate candidates.)
Is this election important?
Yes. Michigan will be a key swing state in 2024, and it’s essential that the voting process goes smoothly there. If Karamo or another conspiracy-minded conservative won this post, how would they react if Trump called and asked them to “find” an extra few thousand votes to give him the presidency, as he did to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger?
Can Benson win?
Secretary of state races are not watched as closely as more prominent races, and handicappers like the Cook Political Report don’t release ratings on them as frequently as they do congressional contests. But Michigan is a narrowly divided state and it’s likely that this will be a close race. Benson should have some advantages as an incumbent with a fundraising edge, but the national political environment is much more hostile to Democrats now than it was in 2018.
Does she need money?
Benson had $1.4 million in cash on hand at the end of 2021, a healthy amount for a secretary of state race. (She spent $1.5 million in total in 2018.) But the increased attention will make this election more expensive than previous ones: Karamo had raised nearly $230,000 and had $133,000 in cash on hand at the end of 2021, whereas Mary Treder Lang, who Benson defeated in 2018, had raised only $130,000 by the end of 2017.
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While Benson isn’t cash-strapped, she is an obvious early giving priority for donors concerned about the democratic process in 2024. Other key secretary of state races are going through Democratic primaries at the moment, and arguably none will be more important than Michigan during the presidential election. And while it’s also important for Democrats to reelect Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for some of the same reasons they need to reelect Benson, Whitmer is raising huge sums thanks to a campaign finance law loophole. Defending democracy in Michigan is vital, and that means giving Benson another term.