Democrat Jocelyn Benson has won the race to be Michigan's next secretary of state, defeating Republican Mary Treder Lang and giving the Democrats control of an office they haven't held since 1994.
Neither candidate in Tuesday's contest for the role of overseeing Michigan elections has held a statewide office, though Benson unsuccessfully ran for secretary of state in 2010.
Benson is a former dean of Wayne State University's law school and is an election law expert who serves as CEO of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality, which is aimed at improving race relations.
During her campaign, she expressed strong support for a ballot initiative that would expand voting methods and options, calling it a "collection of the best practices" found across the country.
Current office-holder Ruth Johnson is term-limited and couldn't run again.
