Michigan Secretary of State election, 2018

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Michigan Secretary of State
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Election details
Filing deadline: April 24, 2018
Primary: N/A
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Ruth Johnson (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Michigan
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Michigan
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
State board of education
State board of regents

Jocelyn Benson (D) defeated Mary Treder Lang (R), Gregory Scott Stemple (L), and Robert Gale (U.S. Taxpayers) in the 2018 general election for Michigan Secretary of State.

Incumbent Ruth Johnson (R), who was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, was prevented by term limits from seeking a third term in 2018.

The election occurred alongside a competitive gubernatorial election between outgoing Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) and former state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to replace term-limited Gov. Rick Snyder (R). Heading into the election, Michigan was also a Republican triplex, meaning Republicans held the following three positions in state government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.

In the previous five presidential elections, Michigan was won by the Democratic candidate in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 and by the Republican candidate in 2016. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 17 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Donald Trump's 0.13 percent margin in 2016.


Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Michigan Secretary of State

Jocelyn Benson defeated Mary Treder Lang, Gregory Scott Stemple, and Robert Gale in the general election for Michigan Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/JFBenson2010.jpg
Jocelyn Benson (D)
 
52.9
 
2,213,243
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Mary_Treder_Lang.png
Mary Treder Lang (R)
 
44.0
 
1,840,118
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Gregory Scott Stemple (L)
 
2.0
 
81,849
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Robert Gale (U.S. Taxpayers Party)
 
1.2
 
48,816

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 4,184,026
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages


Jocelyn Benson, attorney
Jocelyn Benson.png

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Benson received her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She served as dean of Wayne State University Law School and executive director of the nonprofit Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. She founded Military Spouses of Michigan. Benson also wrote, Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process, which examined the role of the secretary of state in election law and enforcement.[1][2]

Key messages
  • The cornerstone of Benson's platform was the "30 Minute Guarantee" to "establish an expectation that no one, no matter where they live, should have to wait more than 30 minutes to renew their driver’s license, register their vehicle or cast a ballot."[2][3]
  • Benson said her experience as the dean of a law school showed her track record of reducing costs and improving services.[1][2]
  • Benson said her other priorities included enhanced election security and greater personal financial and lobbying disclosures in elections.[2]



Mary Treder Lang, certified public accountant
Mary Treder Lang.png

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Treder Lang earned her B.S. in accounting and marketing from the University of Dayton. She worked at financial services firm KPMG, SBC/Ameritech, LINX Technologies, and Siemens, Inc., among other companies. She began to work in the public sector in 2013 as the vice president of development programs for Vista Maria.[4]

Key messages
  • Treder Lang said her experience in computer security prepared her to serve as secretary of state. She said, "I have over 15 years of experience in the field of computer and integrated security. This gives me the knowledge to protect the security and integrity of every vote."[5]
  • Treder Lang released a customer service plan called "Respect Your Time in Line," which included developing a mobile app to allow residents to renew their plates, their driver’s license or state ID, join the organ donor registry, and register to vote on their mobile device.[6]
  • Treder Lang said she wanted to expand Ruth Johnson's pilot program for self-service kiosks in branch offices.[6]


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Michigan Secretary of State, 2018
Poll Poll sponsor Democratic Party Benson Republican Party Treder LangOther/UndecidedMargin of ErrorSample Size
Glengariff Group
September 5-7, 2018		N/A 44%29%27%+/-4.0600 LV
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Michigan secretary of state.


Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[7][8][9]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

Race ratings

Governing rated this race Lean Democratic in June 2018. Louis Jacobson of Governing wrote, "In Michigan, the two parties will select their nominees in late August state conventions. The Republican front-runners are Stan Grot, the Shelby Township clerk and former Macomb County commissioner, and Mary Treder Lang, an accountant and Eastern Michigan University regent. Either would face a tough race against former Wayne State University law school dean Jocelyn Benson, particularly if a blue wave develops. Benson lost a previous bid for the seat narrowly in 2010, which was an awful environment for a Democrat."[10]

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.


Campaign themes

These were the policy positions listed on the candidates' websites, if available.

Democratic Party Jocelyn Benson

“

Benson’s Plan For Secretary Of State

“The people of Michigan deserve a Secretary of State who works as hard as they do. No one should have to spend more than 30 minutes to renew their drivers license, register their vehicle or cast a ballot. We need to show the hardworking people of Michigan that their time matters. They have the right to demand results and we are prepared to deliver them.”

THE “30-MINUTE GUARANTEE”

Benson will work to establish a 30-Minute Guarantee: an expectation that no one, no matter where they live, should have to wait more than 30 minutes to renew their driver’s license, register their vehicle or cast a ballot.

BAN FEE INCREASES

Benson will be an advocate against fee increases that have hit Michigan families hard in recent years. When it comes to pocketbook issues, she has a proven track record. As dean of the Wayne State University Law School, she froze tuition and significantly increased scholarship funding to make law school more affordable and accessible to all students.

ELECTION SECURITY

Benson’s vision is to make Michigan a national model in election security. She will ensure that voting remains a sacred right and that every legitimate vote is counted. Benson, who has developed and supervised three election protection efforts in Michigan, will toughen penalties for those who commit election fraud and voter intimidation. And she will lead an effort to protect our elections from the threat of computer hacking, tampering, and manipulation.

PROTECTING VOTING RIGHTS

Benson will work to ensure the voting rights of every citizen are protected. Voters should be able to vote early or by absentee ballot without having to give a reason, just as they do in dozens of other states. As Secretary of State, Benson will ensure voters who want to cast a ballot can do so with ease, and without intimidation.

ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY

Among the 50 states, Michigan is dead last in government transparency and accountability. Benson will champion reforms that will make Michigan one of the best states in the nation, shining a light on the secret money flowing into our election process by requiring instant disclosure of all political and lobbying money.

“For too long, our voices have been overshadowed by special interests. People deserve a state government that is transparent and accountable, a secure democracy that is based upon fair and honest elections, and efficient customer service from government. As Michigan’s Secretary of State, I will work on behalf of all our citizens every day to ensure they come first.”[11]

”
—Benson for Secretary of State[12]

Republican Party Mary Treder Lang

“

Security

  • Protecting Your Personal Information
  • Fighting Cyber Attack & Threats
  • Ensuring Fair Elections

Optimization

  • Improving Customer Service
  • State Of The Art Election Training
  • Modernizing Technology To Save Taxpayer Money

Stability

  • Reducing Wait Times At Branch Offices
  • Cleaning Up The Voter Rolls
  • Delivering-Top Quality Service And Online Options[11]
 ”
—Treder Lang for Secretary of State[13]

Social media

Twitter accounts

Facebook accounts

Click the icons below to visit the candidates' Facebook pages.

Democratic Party Jocelyn Benson Facebook

Republican Party Mary Treder Lang Facebook

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twelve of 83 Michigan counties—14 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Bay County, Michigan 12.55% 5.56% 15.31%
Calhoun County, Michigan 12.46% 1.60% 9.36%
Eaton County, Michigan 4.72% 3.13% 8.40%
Gogebic County, Michigan 14.80% 8.10% 17.27%
Isabella County, Michigan 3.66% 9.28% 19.26%
Lake County, Michigan 22.77% 5.01% 12.28%
Macomb County, Michigan 11.53% 3.99% 8.62%
Manistee County, Michigan 15.29% 5.93% 13.26%
Monroe County, Michigan 21.97% 0.98% 4.35%
Saginaw County, Michigan 1.13% 11.89% 17.34%
Shiawassee County, Michigan 19.59% 3.67% 8.59%
Van Buren County, Michigan 13.92% 0.45% 8.78%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Michigan with 47.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 47.3 percent. In presidential elections between 1836 and 2016, Michigan voted Republican 60.8 percent of the time and Democratic 34.7 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Michigan voted Democratic four out of the five elections.[14]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Michigan. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[15][16]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 53 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 37.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 43 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 39.3 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 57 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 12.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 67 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 21.2 points. Trump won eight districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


Election history

2014

Secretary of State of Michigan, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRuth Johnson Incumbent 53.5% 1,649,047
     Democratic Godfrey Dillard 42.9% 1,323,004
     Libertarian James Lewis 2% 61,112
     U.S. Taxpayer Robert Gale 1.1% 34,447
     Natural Law Jason Gatties 0.4% 13,185
Total Votes 3,080,795
Election results via Michigan Department of State

2010

2010 Race for Attorney General - General Election[17]
Party Candidate Vote Percentage
     Republican Party Approveda Ruth Johnson 50.7%
     Democratic Party Jocelyn Benson 45.2%
     Libertarian Party Scotty Boman 1.8%
     U.S. Taxpayers Robert Gale 1.3%
     Green Party John A. La Pietra 1.0%
Total Votes 3,173,248

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Michigan heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

  • Republicans controlled both chambers of the Michigan State Legislature. They had a 63-46 majority in the state House and a 27-10 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

2018 elections

See also: Michigan elections, 2018

Michigan held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Michigan
 MichiganU.S.
Total population:9,917,715316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):56,5393,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:79%73.6%
Black/African American:14%12.6%
Asian:2.7%5.1%
Native American:0.5%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.6%3%
Hispanic/Latino:4.7%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:89.6%86.7%
College graduation rate:26.9%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$49,576$53,889
Persons below poverty level:20%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Michigan.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Michigan's three largest cities were Detroit (pop. est. 673,000), Grand Rapids (pop. est. 199,000), and Warren (pop. est. 135,000).[18]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Michigan from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Michigan Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Michigan every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Michigan 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 47.5% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 47.3% 0.2%
2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 54.2% Republican Party Mitt Romney 44.7% 9.5%
2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 57.4% Republican Party John McCain 41.0% 16.4%
2004 Democratic Party John Kerry 51.2% Republican Party George W. Bush 47.8% 3.4%
2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 51.3% Republican Party George W. Bush 46.2% 5.1%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Michigan from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Michigan 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Democratic Party Gary Peters 54.6% Republican Party Terri Lynn Land 41.3% 13.3%
2012 Democratic Party Debbie Stabenow 58.8% Republican Party Pete Hoekstra 38.0% 20.8%
2008 Democratic Party Carl Levin 62.7% Republican Party Jack Hoogendyk, Jr. 33.9% 28.8%
2006 Democratic Party Debbie Stabenow 56.9% Republican Party Michael Bouchard 41.3% 15.6%
2002 Democratic Party Carl Levin 60.6% Republican Party Rocky Raczkowski 37.9% 22.7%
2000 Democratic Party Debbie Stabenow 49.5% Republican Party Spence Abraham 47.9% 1.6%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Michigan.

Election results (Governor), Michigan 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Republican Party Rick Snyder 50.9% Democratic Party Mark Schauer 46.9% 4.0%
2010 Republican Party Rick Snyder 58.1% Democratic Party Virg Bernero 39.9% 18.2%
2006 Democratic Party Jennifer Granholm 56.4% Republican Party Dick DeVos 42.3% 14.1%
2002 Democratic Party Jennifer Granholm 51.4% Republican Party Dick Posthumus 47.4% 4.0%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Michigan in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Michigan 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 9 64.3% Democratic Party 5 35.7% R+4
2014 Republican Party 9 64.3% Democratic Party 5 35.7% R+4
2012 Republican Party 9 64.3% Democratic Party 5 35.7% R+4
2010 Republican Party 9 60.0% Democratic Party 6 40.0% R+3
2008 Republican Party 7 46.7% Democratic Party 8 53.3% D+1
2006 Republican Party 8 53.3% Democratic Party 7 46.7% R+1
2004 Republican Party 9 60.0% Democratic Party 6 40.0% R+3
2002 Republican Party 9 60.0% Democratic Party 6 40.0% R+3
2000 Republican Party 7 43.75% Democratic Party 9 56.25% D+2

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Michigan Party Control: 1992-2024
Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D
House D S S R R D D R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D


Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Michigan secretary of state election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Michigan Secretary of State election, 2018 - Google News

See also

Michigan government:

Elections:

Ballotpedia exclusives:

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vote Benson, "Meet Jocelyn," accessed October 2, 2018
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Free Detroit Press, "Attorney Jocelyn Benson is first Democrat in race for Michigan Secretary of State," October 17, 2017
  3. ↑ Vote Benson, "Issues," accessed October 2, 2018
  4. ↑ Treder Lang for SOS, "About," accessed October 2, 2018
  5. ↑ MLive, "Eastern Michigan board member Mary Treder Lang to run for Secretary of State," September 19, 2017
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Treder Lang for SOS, "Reaching Out to Voters," October 1, 2018
  7. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  8. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  9. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  10. ↑ Governing, "Secretary of State Races Are More Competitive and Important Than Ever," June 4, 2018
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  12. ↑ Vote Benson, "Issues," accessed October 2, 2018
  13. ↑ Treder Lang for SOS, "Issues," accessed October 2, 2018
  14. ↑ 270towin.com, "Michigan," accessed June 29, 2017
  15. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  16. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  17. ↑ Michigan Department of State - 2010 General Election Results
  18. ↑ Michigan Demographics, "Michigan Cities by Population," accessed September 5, 2018
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