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DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260916T110000
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DTSTAMP:20260906T081043
CREATED:20260904T144813Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T152110Z
UID:16118-1789556400-1789567200@www.econclub.org
SUMMARY:2026 Gubernatorial Candidates - State of Michigan
DESCRIPTION:PURCHASE TICKETS\n					\n					\n				\n								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n					\n						\n									MEDIA REGISTRATION\n					\n					\n				\n								\n				\n				\n				\n					\n	\n		\n\n	\n	Add to calendar	\n		\n	\n\n		\n			\n									\n	Google Calendar\n\n									\n	iCalendar\n\n									\n	Outlook 365\n\n									\n	Outlook Live\n\n							\n		\n\n		\n	\n\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n						\n		\n						\n				\n					\n				\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n					About THIS MEETING				\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					Exclusively for DEC Members and Accompanied Guests				\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n									Candidates Benson and James will each have solo time on stage to answer a series of questions and present their case to lead our important state as Michigan’s Governor. 								\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n						\n		\n						\n				\n				\n					\n				\n		\n					\n		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n					The Honorable\nJocelyn Benson				\n				\n				\n				\n									2026 Gubernatorial Candidate (D) Secretary of State\, State of Michigan 								\n				\n				\n				\n					\n	\n		\n			\n		\n				\n					\n				BIO\n			\n						\n			The Honorable Jocelyn Benson\n\nJocelyn Benson is Michigan's 43rd Secretary of State. \nIn this role\, she has become one of the nation’s most prominent leaders in ensuring elections are secure and accessible. Benson’s work overseeing Michigan’s 2020 and 2022 general elections\, both of which drew record-breaking turnout and were more secure than any prior election in state history\, earned her national recognition\, including the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Presidential Citizens Medal. She also implemented new voting rights for all eligible Michiganders prior to the 2020 election\, including the right to vote absentee\, and oversaw more than 250 audits after the election\, all of which affirmed its integrity and accuracy. \nBelieving that a healthy democracy is one in which government works for everyone\, Benson has also transformed the customer service operations of the Secretary of State’s office. She doubled the number of services available online\, installed more than 160 self-service stations statewide\, mostly at grocery stores\, and ended the take-a-ticket-and-wait system that had resulted in hours-long lines at offices for years. Now\, most transactions are conducted without an office visit at all and when residents do visit an office\, they are in and out in an average of 20 minutes or less. \nA graduate of Harvard Law School and expert on civil rights law\, education law and election law\, Benson served as dean of Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. When she was appointed dean at age 36\, she became the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100\, accredited law school. She continues to serve as vice chair of the advisory board for the Levin Center at Wayne Law\, which she founded with former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. Previously\, Benson was an associate professor and associate director of Wayne Law’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. \nBenson is the author of State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process\, the first major book on the role of the secretary of state in enforcing election and campaign finance laws. She is also a co-founder and former president of Military Spouses of Michigan\, a network dedicated to providing support and services to military spouses and their children. In 2015\, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame and in 2016\, she became one of a handful of women to have completed the Boston marathon while 8 months pregnant. \n			\n		\n	\n\n		\n\n\n\n			\n			\n						\n\n												\n											\n											BIO\n		\n					\n		\n		\n				\n				\n				\n		\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n					The Honorable\nJohn James				\n				\n				\n				\n									2026 Gubernatorial Candidate (R) Congressman\, U.S. House of Representatives – Michigan’s 10th District 								\n				\n				\n				\n					\n	\n		\n			\n		\n				\n					\n				BIO\n			\n						\n			The Honorable John James\n\nCongressman John James is the Representative of the people of Michigan’s 10th Congressional district. Prior to being elected to Congress John James served as President of James Group International (JGI) and CEO of Renaissance Global Logistics - a supply-chain management and logistics services company based in Detroit\, Michigan. \nPrior to joining JGI in 2012\, he served eight years of active duty military service as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer where he had the honor of leading two Apache platoons in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09. \nJames began his military career at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Systems (Industrial) Engineering. He earned a Master of Supply Chain Management and Information Systems from Penn State University Smeal School of Business in 2014 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in May 2015. \nIn addition to serving on several charitable and community Boards in Detroit\, John has also received accolades from many industry groups\, including Crain’s Detroit Business 2020 “40 Under 40” and ran two highly competitive races for U.S. Senate in Michigan. \n			\n		\n	\n\n		\n\n\n\n			\n			\n						\n\n												\n											\n											BIO\n		\n					\n		\n		\n				\n				\n				\n					\n				\n		\n					\n		\n		\n				\n				\n					AGENDA				\n				\n				\n				\n									** Please Note: No Speaker Reception for this meeting ** 11:00 a.m. Registration & Network Café 12:00 p.m. Program(Sound Board Theater-Style\, Unreserved Seating) 1:05 p.m. Strolling Lunch with Open Seating(Ballroom) 								\n				\n				\n		\n				\n				\n					TICKETS				\n				\n				\n				\n									$55 – DEC Members $65 – Guests of DEC Members 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n					\n						\n						\n							\n									PURCHASE TICKETS\n					\n					\n				\n								\n				\n				\n				\n																														\n				\n				\n				\n					\n				\n		\n					\n		\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					VENUE				\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n				\n				\n	\n	MotorCity Casino Hotel\n	\n	\n\n2901 Grand River Ave\n	\n		\n		Detroit\,\n\n	MI\n\n	48201\n\n	United States\n\n\n\n\n\n\n	\n\n\n\n		\n	\n				\n				\n				\n		\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					DETAILS				\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n							\n			\n		\n						\n				\n				\n				\n					\n		\n			Wednesday\, September 16\, 2026\n\n		\n\n\n	\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					\n		\n		\n\n\n11:00 am\n\n		\n\n\n\n	\n	  -  \n\n2:00 pm
URL:https://www.econclub.org/meeting/2026-gubernatorial-candidates-state-of-michigan/
LOCATION:MotorCity Casino Hotel\, 2901 Grand River Ave\, Detroit\, MI\, 48201\, United States
CATEGORIES:Meeting,Members Only
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.econclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-Gubernatorial_featured.jpg
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