LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt and 21 Republican legislators on Thursday sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting the U.S. Department of Justice oversee the state’s 2026 primary and general elections, citing an “inherent and unavoidable conflict of interest” as Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the state’s chief elections official, is also on the ballot for governor.
“From issuing driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants to Chinese nationals voting in our elections, all signs lead to the same conclusion: Jocelyn Benson is the worst secretary of state in American history and cannot be trusted to manage our elections,” said Nesbitt, R-Porter Township. “We’re blessed to have President Trump and Attorney General Bondi in office, and I’m confident that they can safeguard our elections from any outside or inside interference.”
The letter outlines serious concerns about Benson’s job performance and ability to ethically administer a statewide election that includes her own name on the ballot for Michigan’s chief executive, including:
- Repeated violations of election laws, beginning on the very first day of her gubernatorial campaign when she announced her candidacy in the lobby of the Richard H. Austin Building, a state-owned facility housing her own department, in clear violation of Michigan’s Campaign Finance Act, as confirmed by the attorney general’s office.
- A troubling refusal to cooperate with federal authorities, including a recent DOJ lawsuit against her and the state for failing to provide unredacted voter registration records, in violation of the Civil Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.
- A persistent failure to maintain accurate voter rolls, including her refusal to remove deceased registrants as required by federal law. Audits and investigations have revealed more than 25,000 deceased individuals remaining on Michigan’s voter rolls, prompting ongoing litigation that has escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- At least 16 noncitizens were confirmed to have cast ballots in the 2024 general election under her oversight, despite Michigan law prohibiting noncitizen voting.
- Widespread concerns that led to Michigan receiving a “D” grade for election integrity after nonpartisan audits exposed her failure to administer elections in accordance with state law going back to 2020, including the unauthorized mass mailing of absentee ballot applications to all registered voters without legislative approval.
- Over 69 election-related lawsuits, more than the combined total of Michigan’s previous four secretaries of state, challenging her handling of elections, including court rulings that found she unlawfully restricted poll challengers and violated state law by giving improper guidance on signature verification for mail ballots.