According to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has raised $1.5 million and spent $176,057 between Jan. 1, 2021 and Apr. 20, 2022. Benson is currently ranked fifth in state-level donations in the 2022 election cycle.
Benson is a member of the Democratic Party and assumed office in 2019. In Michigan, the secretary of state is an elected position. Duties vary by state but are generally administrative in nature and may include recordkeeping, certification of state documents, and serving as chief election official. Benson is running for reelection in 2022.
Benson’s reported campaign finance activity, by quarter (2017-2021)
Contributions to Benson
Of the $1,510,808 already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 15.1 percent came from the top 10 donors.
Top Donors to Benson (1/1/2021 – 4/20/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Donor Name | Donor Type |
| 1. | $71,500.00 | Democratic Association of Secretaries of State Federal | ENTITY |
| 2. | $36,500.00 | Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters PAC | ENTITY |
| 3. | $35,000.00 | Michigan Education Association PAC | ENTITY |
| 4. | $29,000.00 | Inspire Michigan | ENTITY |
| 5. | $14,250.00 | Ivote Action Fund | ENTITY |
| 6. | $13,300.00 | Mark J Bernstein | INDIVIDUAL |
| 7. | $7,150.00 | Anne Sullivan | INDIVIDUAL |
| 8. | $7,150.00 | Arn Tellem | INDIVIDUAL |
| 9. | $7,150.00 | Arthur D Lipson | INDIVIDUAL |
| 10. | $7,150.00 | Ashley Oberheide | INDIVIDUAL |
Expenditures by Benson
On the expenditures side, Benson reported $176,057, with 97.39 percent of all spending going to the 10 payees topping this list.
Top Expenditures by Benson (1/1/2021 – 4/20/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Payee Name | Payee Type |
| 1. | $57,750.00 | Farough and Associates | ENTITY |
| 2. | $44,000.00 | Anne Lewis Strategies | ENTITY |
| 3. | $23,608.18 | Vantiv LLC | ENTITY |
| 4. | $13,402.07 | Act Blue | ENTITY |
| 5. | $11,539.00 | Ngp Van Inc | ENTITY |
| 6. | $7,100.00 | Ivote Fund | ENTITY |
| 7. | $6,150.00 | Mark J Bernstein | INDIVIDUAL |
| 8. | $4,900.00 | Elizabeth D Boyd | INDIVIDUAL |
| 9. | $1,906.00 | Delta Airlines | ENTITY |
| 10. | $1,100.00 | Apollo Artistry | ENTITY |
How donations to Benson compare to the same office in other states
Contributions vary widely among officeholders in the same role. A number of factors, including whether the position is appointed or elected, can influence donor activity. Here is how Benson compares to the 10 other state and commonwealth secretaries with campaign finance data available from Transparency USA in 2022:
Across the U.S., 27 secretaries of state are members of the Republican Party and 20 are members of the Democratic Party. Voters elect the secretary of state in 35 states, while they are appointed by either the governor or state legislature in the other 12. Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah do not have secretaries of state. In 2022, 27 states are holding elections for the position.
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Michigan PACs submitted to the Michigan Secretary of State. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2022 Annual/January | 1/31/2022 |
| 2022 April (PACs) | 4/25/2022 |
| 2022 July (PACs) | 7/25/2022 |
| 2022 Post-Primary | 9/1/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-General | 10/28/2023 |
| 2022 Post-General | 12/8/2022 |
This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.