Michigan won’t find the change it must have from within the same leadership team that has guided it to the bottom.
Democratic voters in the Aug. 4 gubernatorial primary have the opportunity to make a powerful statement for change by choosing a candidate with fresh ideas and a clean track record.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are the Democratic primary contenders.
Benson is serving her second term as secretary of state, a tenure that has been short on transparency and long on partisan maneuvering.
She was stripped of IT oversight of her department by the Legislature after she bungled the launch of a $9 million site intended to streamline the disclosure of lobbying, campaign and personal financial reports.
The site was basically unworkable and disclosed less information than the system it replaced.
After criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, lawmakers had to intervene and restructure the site.
Benson has shown a penchant for operating in the dark. Lawmakers had to use subpoenas to gain access to her office’s training manuals and other materials.
Her office created a Public FOIA Requests portal, but it has come under fire for long delays and high fees in honoring freedom of information filings.
A hyper-partisan, Benson was struck down by the courts three times for attempting to rewrite election rules without following the administrative process set by law.
Concerns have also been raised about her personal conflicts. Her husband, Ryan Friedrichs, is vice president of development for Related Companies, a real estate firm heavily invested in Michigan, including in data centers. He has promised to recuse himself from Michigan projects should Benson become governor.
Nominating Benson feels too much like giving a stamp of approval to the status quo in Michigan.
Choosing Chris Swanson in the primary would be a bold statement that Michigan is ready to set a new course.
Swanson is executive-minded and results-oriented. He would not likely tolerate underperformance in his administration.
He has spent 34 years in law enforcement and has managed his department with integrity and efficiency.
Swanson is a moderate in a Democratic Party that is increasingly under the sway of its far-left wing.
The sheriff borrows a page from Mike Duggan, the former Detroit mayor who suspended his independent campaign for governor in late May, in pledging to end the destructive partisanship that has gripped Lansing. He says he will make building relationships with Republicans a priority.
Swanson also has a solid appreciation for the role of business in the state’s quest for a more prosperous future. He’s more likely than his opponent in this race to unwind some of the damaging, anti-growth policies put in place when Democrats held full control of state government.
His education plan would prioritize literacy and early career opportunities for students who choose a path other than college. His appeal to teachers was cited as a reason the Michigan Education Association, a powerful Democratic constituency, was unable to agree on endorsing Benson.
The Teamsters Union, another key Democratic ally, endorsed Swanson, an indication that there is a path to victory for the decided underdog.
We know what state government would look like if Jocelyn Benson is elected governor: Four, or possibly eight more years of the status quo. And that won’t get us anywhere.
Putting Sheriff Chris Swanson on the ballot as the Democratic nominee for governor would signal that Michigan is ready to take the smart steps necessary to change its fate. He gets our endorsement in the Aug. 4 primary.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Democrats should pick a nominee for governor who will shake status quo
Reporting by The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
