Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt is calling for federal oversight of the state’s 2026 elections, citing concerns about election administration and the role of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
In a statement Thursday, Nesbitt, a Republican from Porter Township, said he agrees with President Donald Trump’s position that federal monitoring is needed to ensure Michigan’s elections are conducted fairly and legally. Nesbitt argued voters “cannot trust” Benson and accused her of resisting transparency and accountability in the administration of elections.
Nesbitt and 21 other Republican lawmakers sent a letter in November to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice oversee Michigan’s 2026 primary and general elections. The lawmakers cited what they described as an “inherent and unavoidable conflict of interest,” noting Benson, the state’s chief elections official, is also a candidate for governor.
In their November letter, Nesbitt said lawmakers pointed to several concerns about Benson’s performance and election oversight including a refusal to cooperate with federal authorities related to providing unredacted voter registration records, a persistent failure to maintain accurate voter rolls, overseeing the 2024 general election where at least 16 noncitizens were confirmed to have cast ballots, and more than 69 election-related lawsuits challenging her handling of elections.
“Michigan voters deserve to have confidence that our elections are run legally and fairly. Jocelyn Benson has pushed to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, unapologetically allowed foreign nationals to vote and has lost the benefit of the doubt,” Nesbitt said.
Speaking Thursday at the Detroit Economic Club, Benson said, “The insinuation that state officials or local officials have done anything but ensure our elections are secure is not rooted in fact.”
Both Nesbitt and Benson are running for their respective party nomination for governor.
