Jocelyn Benson (left) and Kristina Karamo. | Paul Sancya and Jim Rassol/AP Photo
Democrat Jocelyn Benson won reelection arsenic Michigan’s caput of state, beating backmost a situation from a campaigner endorsed by erstwhile President Donald Trump.
Benson defeated Republican Kristina Karamo, a section Republican activistic and assemblage assemblage instructor, 55 percent to 42 percent erstwhile the Associated Press called the race.
Benson roseate to nationalist prominence successful the run-up to and aftermath of the 2020 election, wherever she defended the legitimacy of her state’s elections aft attacks from Trump and his allies, and besides co-chaired the National Association of Secretaries of State’s predetermination committee during the 2020 election. She was among the astir recognizable main predetermination officials successful the state and has been a regular connected cablegram news.
Karamo, her opponent, was portion of a web of predetermination deniers called the America First Secretary of State Coalition. Broadly, the web looked to undermine assurance successful the 2020 predetermination and supported much restrictive elector laws. More recently, she said that threats and harassment directed astatine section predetermination officials were made up by her opponent.
Karamo besides regularly alludes to a conspiracy mentation that voting machines had flipped votes successful the state, and antecedently said that the Jan. 6 rioters astatine the U.S. Capitol were plants.
Benson’s reelection run was aided by waves of tv ads successful the authorities that ripped into Karamo, replaying comments wherever she had compared termination to kid sacrifice. Benson’s run and Democratic extracurricular groups spent $10 cardinal connected ads successful the state, portion Karamo had nary extracurricular help, hardly cracking six figures successful spending herself.
Benson’s most-played advertisement focused connected her improving lines astatine section offices — the caput of authorities successful Michigan besides oversees the state’s section of centrifugal vehicles — and running elections that “are secure, escaped and fair.”
Benson’s contention is 1 of a trio of competitory statewide races successful Michigan, wherever Democratic women power each 3 of the state’s apical predetermination offices.
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