2018 Michigan Secretary of State election

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2018 Michigan Secretary of State election
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November 6, 2018 (2018-11-06)
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  SOS Jocelyn Benson web (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Jocelyn Benson Mary Treder Lang
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote2,213,2431,840,118
Percentage52.90%43.98%
2018 Michigan Secretary of State election results map by county.svg
MI SOS 2018.svg
Benson:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Lang:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Tie:     40–50%     No data
Secretary of State before election

Ruth Johnson
Republican

Elected Secretary of State

Jocelyn Benson
Democratic

The Michigan Secretary of State election of 2018 was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the secretary of state of Michigan. Democratic former university dean Jocelyn Benson won her first term in office, defeating Republican university vice chair Mary Treder Lang. Benson succeeded Republican incumbent Ruth Johnson, who was term limited and ineligible to seek a third term.

Contents

Treder Lang and Benson were selected as the respective party nominees through a convention.

Republican convention

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated at convention

Withdrew

Democratic convention

Candidates

Nominee

Declined

Minor parties

Libertarian Party

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Governing [6] Lean D (flip)October 11, 2018

Post-primary endorsements

Mary Treder Leng (R)
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Organizations
Jocelyn Benson (D)
Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Labor unions
Organizations
Newspapers

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Mary Treder
Lang (R)		Jocelyn
Benson (D)		OtherUndecided
Glengariff Group [10] October 25–27, 2018600 (LV)± 4.0%34%45%4% [c] 17%
EPIC-MRA [11] October 18–23, 2018600 (LV)± 4.0%36%40%7% [d] 17%
Marketing Resource Group [12] October 14–18, 2018600 (LV)± 4.0%33%41%3% [e] 17%
Glengariff Group [13] September 30 – October 2, 2018600 (LV)± 4.0%29%41%7%23%
EPIC-MRA [14] September 21–25, 2018600 (LV)± 4.0%31%40%10% [f] 19%
Glengariff Group [15] September 5–7, 2018600 (LV)± 4.0%29%44%5%23%

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of October 21, 2018
CandidateRaisedSpentCash on hand
Jocelyn Benson (D)$1,420,090.57$1,120,241.74$306,333.15
Mary Treder Lang (R)$671,165.36$562,880.13$108,285.23
Source: Michigan Department of State [16] [ permanent dead link ]

Results

Michigan Secretary of State election, 2018 [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Jocelyn Benson 2,213,243 52.90% +9.96%
Republican Mary Treder Lang1,840,11843.98%−9.55%
Libertarian Gregory Stempfle81,8491.96%−0.02%
Constitution Robert Gale48,8161.17%+0.05%
Total votes4,184,026 100.0% N/A
Democratic gain from Republican

Notes

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  3. ↑ Gale (UTP) with 2%; Stempfle (L) with 2%
  4. ↑ Stempfle (L) with 3%; "Other party candidate" with 4%
  5. ↑ Stempfle (L) with 3%
  6. ↑ "Other party candidate" with 10%; Stempfle (L) with 3%

References

  1. 1 2 Gray, Kathleen (September 19, 2017). "2018 races getting crowded for attorney general, secretary of state". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  2. ↑ Hotts, Mitch (August 20, 2017). "Shelby Township clerk Stan Grot to announce Secretary of State candidacy". Macomb Daily. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Oosting, Jonathan (September 21, 2017). "Kowall withdraws from Michigan SOS race". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ Egan, Paul (October 17, 2017). "Attorney Jocelyn Benson is first Democrat in race for Michigan Secretary of State". Detroit Free Press.
  5. ↑ Gray, Kathleen (August 15, 2017). "Attorney Dana Nessel, known for defense of same-sex marriage, jumps into AG's race". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  6. ↑ Jacobson, Louis (October 11, 2018). "Democrats Maintain the Edge in Secretary of State Races" . Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 VanHulle, Lindsay (October 31, 2018). "Here's who endorsed the 2018 Michigan Secretary of State candidates". Bridge Michigan . Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Hotts, Mitch (October 18, 2017). "Macomb Dems to back Jocelyn Benson for secretary of state". The Macomb Daily . Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  9. ↑ Joseph, Gina (October 18, 2017). "Jocelyn Benson racks up endorsements for Michigan secretary of state". The Macomb Daily . Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  10. ↑ Glengariff Group
  11. ↑ EPIC-MRA
  12. ↑ Marketing Resource Group
  13. ↑ Glengariff Group
  14. ↑ EPIC-MRA
  15. ↑ Glengariff Group
  16. ↑ "Campaign finance data" . Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  17. ↑ "2018 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/06/2018". Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved November 16, 2018.

Official campaign websites

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