Executive Summary
- A group of 22 Michigan Republican lawmakers has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to provide federal oversight for the state’s 2026 elections.
- The lawmakers cite an alleged conflict of interest, arguing that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will be overseeing an election in which she is a candidate for governor.
- Democrats and election officials have condemned the request as a partisan political maneuver designed to undermine the state’s electoral process.
- Critics note a historical precedent of secretaries of state from both parties running for office while overseeing elections, including one of the letter’s signatories.
A group of 22 Republican lawmakers in Michigan has formally requested that President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice provide federal oversight for the state’s 2026 elections. The request, detailed in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, asks for federal monitors at polling places and vote-counting facilities, citing concerns over potential conflicts of interest and the need to ensure public trust in the electoral process.
Allegations of Conflict
The central argument from the GOP legislators focuses on Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who serves as Michigan’s chief election official. The lawmakers contend that because Benson is expected to appear on the 2026 ballot as a candidate for governor, an “inherent and unavoidable conflict of interest” exists. In their letter, they wrote that such a scenario “risks compromising the impartiality required for fair election oversight and demands external federal scrutiny to maintain public trust.” The letter was led by Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, a potential gubernatorial candidate himself.
Widespread Criticism and Historical Precedent
The request for federal intervention has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and election officials. Angela Benander, a spokeswoman for Secretary Benson, described the letter as “dangerous, false rhetoric” intended to justify “federal overreach that puts our citizens’ privacy, safety and freedoms in danger.” Similarly, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum labeled the request “a partisan attack against a political opponent.” Critics also point out that Michigan’s elections are administered locally by hundreds of clerks and certified by bipartisan boards. Furthermore, historical precedent shows secretaries of state from both parties have overseen elections in which they were candidates. Sen. Ruth Johnson, a signatory of the letter, successfully ran for state Senate in 2018 while serving as secretary of state.
Unprecedented Request
Chris Thomas, Michigan’s former longtime elections director who served under both parties, called the scale of the requested federal oversight “unprecedented” in the state. He suggested that if a genuine concern existed, a neutral organization should be involved, stating, “The current Department of Justice is just really a political operation.” A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice declined to comment on the request from the Michigan lawmakers. The 2026 election cycle in Michigan is expected to be highly contested, with races for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and a U.S. Senate seat.