Jocelyn Benson

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My Affordable Michigan agenda will tackle the costs hitting families hardest. I will work to increase housing availability and affordability by streamlining regulations that slow down construction, incentivizing development of starter homes and affordable units, and cracking down on corporate investors who buy up properties and drive up rents. I will fight to lower healthcare costs by increasing transparency in medical billing, passing a $5,000 caregiver tax credit, and ensuring that pharmaceutical companies can't price gouge Michigan families. And I will make childcare more accessible and affordable by bringing Rx Kids statewide and removing barriers that prevent qualified providers from opening their doors.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

From a young age, she knew she wanted to fight for justice and make a difference. As a student at Wellesley College, she became the first college student ever elected to the governing body for the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts. After college, Jocelyn dedicated herself to investigating threats to democracy and civil rights. She went undercover in Alabama to investigate domestic terrorist cells that emerged following the Oklahoma City bombing, then traveled to the United Kingdom to study the international links of modern white supremacists and neo-Nazi movements. She brought this same commitment to protecting and defending people’s rights and freedoms to Detroit, where she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Damon J. Keith, continuing her work in service and civil rights.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

As a mom, Jocelyn’s north star in this election is making sure Michigan is affordable for everyone so our young people, seniors, and everyone in between can stay and thrive in Michigan. She knows firsthand that government works best when it’s there when you need it, and gets out of the way when you don’t. The cost of living is crushing Michiganders but Jocelyn believes that government can make life easier with the right leader as governor who will use every tool available to expand rural healthcare options, build more housing, take on the utility companies who raise our rates, make childcare free, and ensure our agencies work, so anyone can afford to live in the best place to call home.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Jocelyn has a proven track record of transforming broken government systems and fixing them to save Michiganders time and money while protecting their rights and freedoms. As governor, she will make Michigan more affordable, take our public schools to the top 10 in the nation, and make government work for Michiganders.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Today, Jocelyn Benson is out with her latest statewide television ad, “Michigan First,” where she pledges to put people over profits as the next Governor — calling for a moratorium on data center projects in Michigan, an end to tax breaks for data center companies, and safeguards that ensure data centers don’t raise electricity bills for Michiganders. Jocelyn called for a moratorium on data centers until we can put strict, enforceable guardrails in place to protect Michiganders, and require them to hire Michigan union workers.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

From the grocery store to the gas pump, from the doctor's office to the housing market, I will work constantly as your governor to bring down costs and protect families from corporate greed. I know what it takes to fix broken systems because I've done it before. Now I'm ready to do that across all of state government, ensuring everyone who works hard can afford to live, thrive, and build a future right here in Michigan.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Housing is the foundation for economic security, community growth, and Michigan's future. As Governor, I will make it a top priority.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. With all of the chaos, corruption, and confusion emerging from Washington, D.C. — where elected officials are ripping away Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of people, women's health care is under attack, and many Michiganders have to travel across multiple counties just to get to their doctor, a Democratic Governor in Michigan will be the last line of defense against the failings at the federal level. But I don't just want to be on defense. I want to make sure Michigan knows I have their back when it comes to getting them the quality, affordable care they need.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

But the problem runs even deeper than federal cuts. Our healthcare system has been corrupted by corporate greed, with too many decisions being made by CEOs and investors instead of doctors and patients. We need to shift the focus from profits to people. That corruption shows up in the privatization schemes and price gouging that have driven up costs for Michigan families, forcing them to make impossible decisions about when they can find a provider and what health issues they can afford to address. It shows up in sky-high prescription drug costs that prevent people from completing their treatments, and in surprise medical bills that bankrupt families who thought they were doing everything right.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

As Governor, I'll fight back. I'll work to increase options for low or no-cost preventive healthcare services across Michigan, because when people can get timely treatment, they address health issues before they become emergencies — saving lives and reducing costs. I'll push for real transparency and accountability in prescription drug pricing through an independent Prescription Drug Affordability Board with the authority to review manufacturing practices and approve price increases. And I'll champion healthcare cost transparency legislation to end the surprise billing that makes even routine procedures unaffordable, while expanding medical debt relief for the thousands of Michiganders crushed by expenses they never saw coming

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

We can and must build a system that supports children's development, respects working parents, and provides every child a strong start from day one.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Utility companies ask for rate increases while Michiganders wonder where the money they are putting aside to pay these skyrocketing bills is going. Will it eliminate outages and modernize our energy grid? Or is it only going to increase the profits of corporations and CEOs?As governor I will use every tool available to me to bring our energy costs down.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

That’s why as a candidate for governor I will not take campaign contributions from energy companies and other corporate PACs.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

My plan is clear, focused, comprehensive and bold. It is rooted in tangible actions and goals that are data-driven and results-focused. Together I will work with our educators, parents, and students to build and implement lasting change to ensure Michigan’s public school system truly prepares our young people for jobs of the future and the world they will one day lead. This plan is ambitious because the stakes are high. Our future economy, workforce, communities, and democracy depend on whether we are willing to build a truly world-class public education system for every child in Michigan. And while Michigan has a strong history of chasing new and shiny policy one-offs, all of which have fallen flat, and led to a notion that the goal posts are being moved regularly; much to the chagrin of those being asked to teach around them. Establishing a vision that is benchmarked to a world-class North Star and utilizing this to align practices and hold ourselves accountable to them, will give Michigan a consistent and best-in-class trajectory.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

As governor, Jocelyn will implement checks and guardrails to shape projects and ensure a transparent process approving any new projects. With clear standards and enforceable requirements, Michigan can invest in growing the jobs of the future while embracing opportunities to support our clean-energy and power grid buildout. Data centers and corporations that violate these guardrails will not be able to operate in Michigan.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Public hearings to ensure projects do not go through without residents having the opportunity to share their concerns.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Requiring developers to prove prior to construction that the data center will not abuse natural resources – from water to land.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Michigan is home to twenty percent of the world's fresh surface water. It's one of our most unique advantages and preserving it is one of our most profound responsibilities. 15 million people in the Great Lakes region get their drinking water from the Great Lakes, while our recreational and northern Michigan economy is reliant on clean, resilient fresh water in those lakes. And in this era of rapid climate change, protecting our water, air, and natural resources preserves what makes Michigan special and ensures it is a safe, healthy home for all of us — for generations to come.

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Caring for our environment, protecting human health, creating good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for Michigan families aren't competing priorities. They're the same fight. Clean, renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy. When we invest in clean energy, we lower utility bills. When we hold polluters accountable, we protect the drinking water families depend on. When we lead in clean manufacturing, we create the union jobs that keep Michigan's economy strong. Every choice we make about our natural resources is a choice about what kind of state we're building — and who it's built for. If we make the right choices now, we can leave the next generation a Michigan that's more affordable, prosperous, cleaner, safer, and stronger than the one we inherited.