Mirsnews.com Mail - Greater Detroit Leaders Endorse Jocelyn... https://mail.google.com/a/mirsnews.com/?ui=2&ik=ed2e7260...
Rita LaMoreaux
Greater Detroit Leaders Endorse Jocelyn Benson 1 message
T.J. Bucholz
GREATER DETROIT LEADERS ENDORSE JOCELYN BENSON FOR 2010 SECRETARY OF STATE RACE 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.”
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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, Tim Bledsoe, 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 toward an economic renaissance in Detroit and Highland Park, and throughout the region."
When elected, Jocelyn Benson will work to:
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· 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
02-15-10 Benson Greater Detroit Release.pdf 315K
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