“I am
humbled by the generosity and goodwill of all of the leaders
who have publicly endorsed our campaign, and those who
continue to work with us as we build momentum toward
November,” Benson said. (Photo by HB Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)
GREATER
DETROIT
LEADERS
ENDORSE
JOCELYN
BENSON
2010
SECRETARY
OF STATE
Cadre of
Community,
Religious,
and
Political
Endorsers
Believe
Benson
Best SOS
Choice
HIGHLAND
PARK –
Dozens
of
political,
grassroots,
religious
and
other
community
leaders
from
Detroit
and
Highland
Park
turned
out in a
strong
show of
support
today
for
election
law
expert
and
Secretary
of State
hopeful
Jocelyn
Benson.
“Despite
the
current
economic
and
political
challenges
we face
in
Detroit,
I
believe
that
Detroit
and
Michigan
have a
bright
future –
a belief
that is
grounded
in a
deep
faith in
the
creativity
and
character
of the
citizens
of this
great
state,”
said
Rev.
David
Bullock,
Pastor
of the
Greater
St.
Matthew
Baptist
Church.
“I am
inspired
by
aspiring
political
leaders
like
Jocelyn
Benson,
who
clearly
understands
what we
have
known
for a
long
time;
namely,
the
destiny
of
Detroit
and
Michigan
are
inextricably
linked.”
More
than 50
people
joined
Benson –
a law
professor
at Wayne
State
University
– at a
news
conference
outside
the
Highland
Park
Secretary
of
State’s
Office
to cheer
her on
as she
announces
plans to
improve
access
to state
services
as
Michigan's
next
Secretary
of
State."
“The
office
of
Secretary
of State
is a
place
where
fair
enforcement
of
election
law and
compliance
with
campaign
finance
regulations
must be
enforced,
and
Jocelyn
Benson
has
dedicated
her life
to
working
for fair
elections,”
said
Gary
Brown,
Detroit
City
Council
President
Pro-Tem.
“Because
of her
commitment
to a
fair and
equitable
electoral
process,
she is
the most
qualified
person
for the
position,
and with
great
enthusiasm
I fully
endorse
her as
the
Democratic
Party’s
candidate
for
Michigan
Secretary
of
State.”
Greater
Detroit
leaders
who have
publicly
endorsed
Benson
include:
• Gary
Brown,
Detroit
City
Council
President
Pro-Tem
• Rev.
David
Bullock,
Pastor
of the
Greater
St.
Matthew
Baptist
Church
in
Detroit
• Rev.
Andre
Spivey,
Detroit
City
Councilman
and
Pastor
of St.
Paul
A.M.E.
Church
in
Detroit
• Rev.
Horace
Sheffield
III,
Pastor
of the
New
Galilee
Missionary
Baptist
Church
in
Detroit
• Bishop
Charles
Ellis
III,
Pastor
of the
Greater
Grace
Temple
in
Detroit
• Bishop
John
Sheard,
Southwest
First
Ecclesiastical
Jurisdiction
in
Detroit
• Rev.
Charles
E.
Williams
II, King
Solomon
Missionary
Baptist
Church
of
Detroit
• Bishop
Lewis
Evans,
Soul
Harvest
Ministries
of
Highland
Park
• U.S.
Congressman
John
Conyers
(D-Detroit)
• State
Senators
Martha
Scott,
Irma
Clark-Coleman,
Hansen
Clarke,
and
Tupac A.
Hunter,
all from
Detroit.
• State
Representatives
Bert
Johnson,
Shanelle
Jackson,
David
Nathan,
Fred
Durhal
Jr.,
Rashida
Tlaib,
Coleman
Young
Jr.,
Gabe
Leland,
and
Bettie
Cook
Scott,
all from
Detroit.
• Tim
Killeen,
Wayne
County
Commissioner
• Paul
Massaron,
Wayne
State
University
(WSU)
Board of
Governors
• Eugene
Driker,
WSU
Board of
Governors
• Gary
Pollard,
WSU
Board of
Governors
•
Richard
Bernstein,
WSU
Board of
Governors
and
candidate
for
Michigan
Attorney
General
•
Reginald
Turner,
State
Board of
Education
•
Casandra
Ulbrich,
State
Board of
Education
• Virgie
Rollins,
DNC
Black
Caucus
Chairwoman
• Ken
Coleman,
Detroit
City
Charter
Commissioner
•
Leontine
Person,
President
of the
Bewick
Block
Club
• Pearl
Reynolds,
Detroit
Senior
Advocate
•
Maureen
Stapleton,
Candidate
for 4th
District,
State
Representative
• AFT
Michigan
“I am
humbled
by the
generosity
and
goodwill
of all
of the
leaders
who have
publicly
endorsed
our
campaign,
and
those
who
continue
to work
with us
as we
build
momentum
toward
November,”
Benson
said.
“Their
confidence
and
support
emboldens
me as we
work
together
towards
an
economic
renaissance
in
Detroit
and
Highland
Park,
and
throughout
the
region."
When
elected,
Jocelyn
Benson
will
work to:
•
Investigate
Campaign
Finance
Violations,
Fraud,
and
Deceptive
Practices:
Jocelyn
Benson
will use
the
powers
of the
office
of
Secretary
of State
to
vigorously
uphold
election
and
campaign
finance
law,
while
working
to
protect
voters
from
intimidation
and
minimizing
Election
Day
administrative
errors.
•
Improve
access
to
branch
office
services:
As
Secretary
of
State,
Jocelyn
Benson
will
ensure
that all
SOS
branches
accept
credit
cards,
create
“one-stop
service
centers”
through
partnership
with
existing
state
offices,
and
address
the
negative
impact
of
recent
branch
office
closings
throughout
our
state.
•
Improve
access
to
elections
and
protect
the
integrity
of the
democratic
process:
Jocelyn
Benson
will
work
toward
modernizing
our
state’s
system
of voter
registration,
advocate
for the
increased
use of
early
and no
reason
absentee
voting,
and
uniformly
enforce
campaign
finance
and
election
laws,
regardless
of
political
affiliation.
•
Promote
Uniformity
and
Fairness
in
Drivers
Safety
and
Licensing:
Jocelyn
Benson
will
modernize
and
update
the
state’s
drivers
education
curriculum,
explore
the
possibility
of
multi-year
license
plates –
saving
citizens
hundreds
of
dollars
per
year,
and
ensure
accuracy
and
transparency
in the
charging
of all
licensing
fees.
Prior to
attending
law
school
at
Harvard,
Benson
lived in
Montgomery,
Alabama,
the
cradle
of the
Civil
Rights
Movement.
She
worked
for the
Southern
Poverty
Law
Center
as an
investigative
journalist,
researching
hate
organizations.
That
work
instilled
her with
a sense
of
responsibility
for
continuing
the work
of the
voting
rights
advocates
who
risked
their
lives in
Selma,
Alabama,
in order
to
ensure
the one
person,
one vote
promise
in the
Constitution
became a
reality.
In 2007,
Benson
worked
with
several
groups
to
successfully
block
the
closure
of a
Secretary
of State
branch
office
in Buena
Vista
Township,
Michigan.
Based on
her
advocacy,
the U.S.
Department
of
Justice
concluded
that the
closure
of the
office
would
violate
the
Voting
Rights
Act.
Prior to
her
appointment
as a
Professor,
Benson
served
as a law
clerk to
the
Honorable
Damon J.
Keith on
the U.S.
Court of
Appeals
for the
Sixth
Circuit.
From
2002 to
2004,
she
served
as the
Voting
Rights
Policy
Coordinator
of the
Harvard
Civil
Rights
Project,
where
she
worked
on the
passage
of the
federal
Help
America
Vote
Act. In
March
2010,
Benson’s
book,
Democracy
and the
State
Secretary
of
State,
will be
published.
The book
highlights
best
practices
of
Secretaries
from
throughout
the
country
and
seeks to
inform
voters
about
how
Secretaries
of State
from
either
side of
the
political
spectrum
can work
to
advance
democracy
and
election
reform.
For more
information
about
Jocelyn,
visit
www.votebenson.com
