The following is the transcript of the interview with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Democratic nominee for governor, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sept. 6, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is the Democratic nominee for governor in Michigan. Good morning to you.
SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN BENSON: Good morning. Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure. I want to get to that issue of affordability. A new University of Michigan analysis revealed 40% of the state’s population struggles to pay for basic necessities. Is that affordability issue something you can improve on as governor?
SEC. BENSON: Yes. Well, first, thanks for having me. And affordability is the centerpiece of our campaign. Our campaign is ultimately about driving down costs, growing our economy so that we can increase well-paying jobs in our state, protecting democracy and ending corruption. And everywhere I go in Michigan, I hear heartbreaking stories about choices that residents are having to make. Moms having to choose between whether to pay for food or childcare. Seniors on a fixed income trying to decide how they’re going to still pay for medicine with these rising costs. The next governor of Michigan must address these, and I’ve done that as Secretary of State. I know how to fix broken systems. I’ve run our state agencies well. I’ve improved our democracy. I improved our Department of Motor Vehicles in a way that has saved people time, saved people money and made their lives easier. I’ve done that as Secretary of State. I’m ready to do that as Governor.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, one of the challenges in Michigan, of course, is the fact that a large portion of your state’s exports, 36%, go north to Canada. On Tuesday, Canada’s tariffs on steel and aluminum products, U.S.-made dairy and appliances will go into effect as part of this trade dispute. It’s going to be between 15 to 50% on $20 billion worth of American-made goods. How much is that going to hit Michigan?
SEC. BENSON: It already has. I mean, since Trump took office, we’ve seen our- our expenses go up, and these tariffs, particularly with Canada, have increased prices in Michigan more than any other state. The average Michigan family is paying $5,600 more. That’s a tax on our groceries. That’s a tax on our small businesses, on gas. And- and what’s frustrating to me in this race is that my opponent has been fully supportive of these tariffs. He’s voted multiple times in support of them instead of in support of the people of Michigan. That is cowardice, and that is not leadership. And Michiganders need a governor–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEC. BENSON: –who will lower their costs and stand up to the president, as I’ve done as Secretary of State.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEC. BENSON: So I announced this week my intention as governor to ensure we’re negotiating subnational agreements, partnering with other governors if necessary, to ensure we’re developing ways to, in spite of the federal government’s best efforts to drive up costs–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEC. BENSON: –with these taxes and tariffs, negotiate subnational agreements that will drive down costs and protect the people of Michigan. That’s what we need the next governor to be able to do, and that’s what I’ve done and will do as governor.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, your Republican competitor was on this program last weekend. He said he doesn’t want more trade dispute and will talk to the White House about it. You just said subnational agreements, but practically speaking, how at the state level can you do anything to cancel out the costs coming from the federal government’s dispute?
SEC. BENSON: Well, first, it’s important to note my- my opponent could talk a good game, but the bottom line is he’s either been silent or he’s voted for these tariffs. And that means we call these tariffs in Michigan the John James tax. Because of his actions, because of his inability to stand up to the president as a congressman, we are hit with these taxes, we are hit with these increased prices, and he has to take responsibility for that instead of running away from it. But in addition to that, subnational agreements are things that governors in other states have already talked about and negotiated to drive down costs when the federal government won’t do that. So, as governor, I can meet with officials in Canada and identify specific ways we can ensure trade between–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEC. BENSON: –Michigan and Canada gets around these tariffs, reduces costs. And in particular, when it comes to our auto industry, we need a governor who’s going to stand up for our auto workers, who’s going to stand up for this critical industry in our state, and ensure that our partners to the north are working with us collectively–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well–
SEC. BENSON: –to create jobs and drive down costs. That’s what a subnational agreement can help guarantee.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Just quickly, what vote are you talking about? Because most of the tariffs have come from executive action.
SEC. BENSON: There was a vote in February in Congress in which our- my opponent voted in support of these tariffs. And also notably, he’s been consistently asked on the trail if he would stand up and do anything–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEC. BENSON: –about these, and he’s been silent on them, both as a congressman as a- and as a candidate for governor.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. Let me ask you about your current job. Two million Michiganders vote by mail. Ballots go out on the 19th, and a federal judge again this past Friday blocked the postal service from enforcing President Trump’s new mail ballot rules. He tried to put those in through executive order. Do you see any impact on voting in your state?
SEC. BENSON: Well, first we have to see this as the latest attempt by this Trump administration to try to create chaos and confusion about our democracy. We’ve been battling this for the better part of six years now since 2020. And what we will do here in Michigan is continue to ensure that states run elections. And that means in Michigan, where citizens have a right to vote by mail, we’ll use every tool in our toolbox to ensure they know the truth about our elections. We’ll follow the law. We’ll protect the right to vote. And that’s why, frankly, state officials who know how to do that and stand up to the president are so important right now. Because this isn’t just about 2026, this is about 2028, when we will need a governor in Michigan who will know how to protect democracy and protect our voters’ voices and votes. I’ve done that–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEC. BENSON: –as Secretary of State. And notably, when my opponent lost his last statewide race in 2020, he did not stand by the will of the voters. He joined the president in trying to overturn and undermine that election. That is- that makes him unfit to be governor in this moment, and it’s why it’s all the more important that in this race, Michigan is led by a governor who knows how to protect democracy–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
SEC. BENSON: –and protect citizens’ right to vote from home.
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Trump has already sort of laid the groundwork, saying that Detroit is corrupt. He already said, “Don’t discount fake mail-in ballots that will show up at the last minute in Michigan.” I know that in the last election, Michigan ended up finding non-citizens who did vote. There were 22 cases under review. Your attorney general has charged six people with those election law violations. Given that this is something the president’s already focused on, how are you verifying the names on your voter rolls?
SEC. BENSON: You know, we’ve done more in Michigan than any other state to ensure that our rolls, our voter rolls, are accurate, and that’s why we see non-citizen voting so rare in this state. With 5.5 million people voting in 2024, the highest turnout election in our state’s history, I’m really proud that our elections have been ranked among the most secure and accessible in the nation. And we, you know, the- the fact that we have identified a handful of individuals who are ineligible to vote, we were able to hold them accountable. That shows the system is working. And I’m proud of the work that our 1,500 local officials do every day to continue to ensure that every eligible vote and only eligible votes are counted in every election.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Secretary Benson, we wish you well with that upcoming vote, but we also will watch your candidacy and some of these platform issues. Thank you for your time today. We’ll be back in a moment.
