State election officials survived Trump's attacks. Will they survive the ballot box?
WASHINGTON — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and her 4-year-old son were settling in to watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" after putting up Christmas decorations when dozens of protesters descended on her home in December 2020 chanting "Stop the Steal" and "We want an audit."
Benson had been on the radar of President Trump and his allies since the spring, when he railed against her decision to send absentee ballot applications to all Michigan voters, calling her a "rogue Secretary." But the late-night protest, marked by what she described at the time as "armed individuals shouting obscenities," solidified her role as a central figure in the fight over control of American elections.
The stakes have increased heading into the 2022 midterm elections.
Democratic groups, donors and incumbents like Benson have raised record amounts to secure seats in battleground states, while Trump loyalists are running on his unfounded election fraud claims, challenging Democrats and Republicans like Georgia's
