Jocelyn Benson is Michigan's 43rd Secretary of State and is running to be the next governor of the state in its 2026 election. She has become one of the nation’s most prominent leaders in ensuring elections are secure and accessible. Her work overseeing Michigan’s 2020 and 2022 general elections earned her national recognition, including the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Presidential Citizens Medal. She also implemented new voting rights for all eligible Michiganders prior to the 2020 election, including the right to vote absentee, and oversaw more than 250 audits after the election, all of which affirmed its integrity and accuracy.

At 36 she was appointed dean of Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, becoming the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100, accredited law school, and continues to serve as vice chair of the advisory board for the Levin Center at Wayne Law, which she founded with former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. She is the author of the book “State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process”, and is a frequent tv news commentator. Her new book,“The Purposeful Warrior: Standing Up for What's Right When the Stakes Are High”, is on sale May 6th and is available for pre-order.

Jocelyn and I discuss her consequential role as Secretary of State in protecting and expanding voters' rights; how she's taken on Trump; continues to defend the Constitution and the rule of law; her decision to run for governor in 2026; and her inspiring new book which provides "a road map for shattering the status quo and standing up for ourselves, our communities, and our country."

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Jocelyn Benson on Standing Up to Trump; Defending the Constitution; Running for Governor; and Her New Book!

The Back Room with Andy Ostroy