Jocelyn Benson Biography
Jocelyn Benson is the Secretary of State of Michigan. She is the former Dean of Wayne State University Law School in Michigan. Benson is a co-founder of the Military Spouses of Michigan and a board member of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. She is the author of “State Secretaries of State.“
Jocelyn Benson Age
She is 45 years as of 2023. Benson was born on October 22, 1977, in Pittsburgh. She celebrates her birthday on the 22nd of October every year.
Jocelyn Benson Education
Benson studied for her bachelor’s degree at Wellesley College. She founded the Women in American Political Activism conference. She was the first student to be elected to serve in the governing body for the town of Wellesley. Benson worked as an associate for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. She also served as a legal assistant to American legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg at National Public Radio (NPR). After graduating, Benson worked as general editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She was named an Associate Law Professor at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, Michigan. She has taught the following courses: Election Law, Sports and Inequality, Race and the Law, Education Law, and Civil Procedure.
Jocelyn Benson Height/Weight
She stands on an average height of 5 Feet 4 inches and weighs around 60kgs.
Jocelyn Benson Family
She was born and raised in the United State. However, she has not revealed information regarding her family members, this information is currently under review and will be updated soon.
Jocelyn Benson Husband
She is happily married to her beloved husband Ryan Friedrichs who is a military officer.
Jocelyn Benson Children
Together with her husband, they are blessed with one child Aiden. She has not revealed information regarding her kid. This information is currently under review and will be updated soon.
Jocelyn Benson Career
Benson was named one of Michigan’s “Most Influential Women” in 2016. She became one of the youngest women in the state’s history to be recruited into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in October 2015. This was second only to Serena Williams. Benson was elected to be Michigan’s next Secretary of State on November 6, 2018. She became the first Democrat to hold office after Richard Austin.
Benson is currently CEO and Executive Director of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a national nonprofit. She has more than a decade of experience as a national leader in election law and administration. has a proven track record of success in leading institutions, cutting costs, and improving services.
Benson also established programs to promote government oversight, provide free legal services for veterans, and help aspiring entrepreneurs participate in the economic revival of Detroit. She serves on national boards including the advisory board of iCivics, she is a long-distance runner, and she has completed 22 marathons.
She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Damon J. Keith. She was hired by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2004 to develop its first nationwide Election Protection program. It gave the authority to select, recruit, and train its Voter Protection coordinators in 21 states. She advocated for a ban on the use of foreclosure lists as a means to challenge a voter’s eligibility on election days.
Jocelyn Benson Polls
Qualifications
Digital First Media: Why do you want to hold this position and what makes you qualified to do so?
Benson: I’ve got a track record of running institutions successfully. And I’ve got the right expertise in what the office does to be prepared to be a Secretary of State who is going to lead us forward, to be a leader among other states in how we run our elections, and also how we oversee our driving and delivery of services. I love this office because it protects and guards our democracy, which is the foundation of everything else that we care about in our state and in our country.
Secondly, it interacts with more citizens than any other office in the state because of the branch offices and the licensing functions. So there’s a tremendous opportunity to serve citizens well and demonstrate how efficiency and a service-oriented leadership style can really be what government is about and define what government is for our citizens.
DFM: Why do you think voters should support you?
Benson: I’ve got that experience, a track record running institutions successfully, and deep expertise in the work of this office that I’ve cultivated over an entire career dedicated to democracy, advocacy, and election law. But I think number one is, as my expertise in elections, having written a book on the Secretary of State’s office 10 years ago now, I’ve developed a strong understanding of what works and what doesn’t in these offices. What are the best practices? And relationships with secretaries of state all around the country, many of whom are supporting my campaign now will be brought to bear in really making Michigan one in which we’re implementing the best ideas, and best practices to make government work better for our citizens.
Jocelyn Benson Net Worth
She has an estimated salary ranging between $70,000 – $125,000 and has an estimated net worth of $1 Million -$5 Million which she earns from her career.
