FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2022
CONTACT: Sean McBrearty, Clean Water Action, 616-516-7758
Christy McGillivray, Sierra Club, 808-726-5325
Leading Environmental Organizations Endorse Jocelyn Benson for Secretary of State
LANSING- Today, Clean Water Action and Sierra Club Michigan Chapter announced their endorsement of Jocelyn Benson for Secretary of State.
“Jocelyn Benson was elected in 2018, when Michigan voters also overwhelmingly supported fortifying ballot access and election security to ensure that every Michigan voter has the opportunity to participate in free and fair elections,” said Christy McGillivray, Political and Legislative Director for Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “Under Benson’s leadership, these reforms have been quickly and efficiently implemented and more Michigan voters have had a chance to make their voices heard as a result.”
In addition to the election reforms in Proposal 2 of 2018, Benson was also tasked with implementing Michigan’s first ever non-partisan redistricting commission. The Michigan Independent Redistricting Commission has now successfully drawn non-partisan maps which will further ensure that Michigan voters can make their voices heard and hold elected officials accountable. The true test of Benson’s ability to implement these reforms and successfully administer elections came in 2020, when despite the enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and various attempts to thwart the will of the people by restricting ballot access, Benson administered a free and fair election.
“Without a healthy democracy, we are not able to protect our water and respond to the challenges posed by the climate crisis. Protecting our democracy is an integral part of protecting our environment and Jocelyn Benson has been and will continue to be the champion we need,” said Mary Brady-Enerson, Michigan Director of Clean Water Action. “We are proud to endorse her campaign and look forward to continuing to work with her in her second term.”
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Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. Clean Water Action has over 135,000 members across the state. Through direct advocacy and education we organize Michigan residents to protect the Great Lakes and our water resources. Learn more at www.cleanwateraction.org/mi
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org