Michigan Democratic Party Backs Jocelyn Benson's Pick of Senate Leader Winnie Brinks for Lieutenant Governor

The Michigan Democratic Party has formally ratified Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s selection of State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks as the party's nominee for Lieutenant Governor, uniting the state party's legislative and executive leadership ahead of the fall gubernatorial campaign. The endorsement convention in Lansing completes the Democratic statewide ticket following a competitive primary cycle.

Senator Brinks, who made history in 2023 as the first woman to lead the Michigan Senate, brings significant legislative bargaining experience to the ticket. Brinks has championed major clean water infrastructure appropriations, public school per-pupil funding equalization, and state economic development grants designed to expand advanced automotive manufacturing and semiconductor packaging facilities across West Michigan and the Detroit metropolitan area.

In accepting the endorsement, Benson emphasized the ticket's commitment to protecting voting accessibility, expanding workforce technical apprenticeships, and maintaining balanced state budget reserves without raising household taxes. Benson framed the campaign around government transparency, administrative competence, and defending fundamental reproductive healthcare protections codified in the state constitution.

With the state convention concluded, the Benson-Brinks ticket begins a multi-city campaign tour across suburban Macomb, Oakland, and Kent counties, focusing on cost-of-living relief, infrastructure modernization, and public safety funding for municipal law enforcement.