Wayne St. prof runs for Mich. secretary of state

By AP

LANSING, MI – A Wayne State University assistant law professor is announcing her candidacy to become Michigan's next secretary of state.

Democrat Joceyln Benson is making stops Tuesday in Detroit and Lansing, followed by Wednesday visits to Flint and Grand Rapids.

Benson helped develop the Democratic National Committee's first nationwide "election protection" program in 2004.

The Harvard law graduate has written a book about democracy and state-level secretaries of state to be published later in the year. She lives in Detroit.

Candidates for secretary of state will be selected at state party conventions next year. Republican incumbent Terri Lynn Land can't run again because of term limits.

No other Democrats have set up a campaign committee yet.