The story’s still unfolding, but this could be one heck of an interesting race.
In breaking news on Friday, Inside Michigan Politics (IMP) reported that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has been calling members of Michigan’s congressional delegation to say Jocelyn Benson is running in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. The information came from two “highly placed” Democrats, but a DCCC spokesman declined to comment on whether the calls were made, IMP said.
Benson did not comment on the DCCC calls, but said this to IMP.
I can confirm that many people in the district are encouraging me to run. I am grateful for their support and belief in my leadership and ability to represent their values in Washington. I’m also, like a lot of people, frustrated with the dysfunction of the current Congress and particularly concerned with how this dysfunction has hurt veterans, service members, and military families in Michigan and elsewhere. I am discussing all of this with my family and will make a decision soon.
Earlier this month, Benson met with Democratic officials including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi about running for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio. EMILY’s List, which supports female candidates supporting abortion rights, has also had discussions with Benson, said IMP.
Benson, the 2010 Democratic nominee for Secretary of State and now dean of the Wayne State University law school, would face Bobby McKenzie in a primary election. McKenzie announced his candidacy last week, which I wrote about here. Urologist Dr. Anil Kumar has also filed the paperwork to run.
Bentivolio already faces a primary challenger, foreclosure attorney David Trott. Although the 11th Congressional District is a heavily right-leaning district, the choice between a Tea Party extremist reindeer farmer and a corporatist vulture may lead voters to look toward a strong Democratic candidate.
We’ll continue reporting on this story as it unfolds.
[Image credit: JocelynBenson.com.]
