GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.(WZMQ) – Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson announced state Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks as her running mate Wednesday, tapping the West Michigan Democrat with years of Capitol experience to round out the ticket.
Taking over a winery in downtown Grand Rapids, Benson and Brinks were joined by other Senate and House Democrats celebrating the announcement.
“I wanted a running mate who will ensure, along with me, that we work for the people,” Benson said in her speech. “Someone who will challenge me, who will ensure that I look at things from every perspective, someone who will help me center our decisions around the needs of the people in every corner of this state, and someone who will help me ensure that everyone has a seat at the table and that every voice is heard.”
Benson, Michigan’s current secretary of state, had been weighing three legislators for the role: former Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich of Flint, Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony of Lansing, and Brinks. Brinks has led Senate Democrats since 2023 and represents the Grand Rapids area.
“I really am looking forward to bringing the depth and the length of the experience that I have in the legislature to bear here to get things done for the people of Michigan,” Brinks said in her remarks to the press. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to have a partner like Jocelyn to do that with; I’m very excited to get started.”
Brinks said she grew up on a dairy farm in West Michigan, the daughter of Dutch immigrants. Her father died when she was six, and her mother raised Brinks and her four siblings alone while keeping the farm running.
Brinks said she never planned to run for office, working in the nonprofit sector until Democrats needed a last-minute candidate to fill her state House seat 14 years ago. Neighbors urged her to run as a write-in candidate, and she won.
“As your next Lieutenant Governor, I want to build on the progress that we’ve made by supporting Jocelyn’s vision of lowering costs, raising wages, and making Michigan a place where everyone can afford to live and thrive,” Brinks said. “I’ve worked with Jocelyn for years, and she’s exactly the leader we need in this moment.”
In the House, she worked on school funding, addressing abuse and neglect at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, and pushed to protect West Michigan’s drinking water.
Six years later, voters elected her to the state Senate, making her the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in that chamber since 1921. After Democrats won a legislative trifecta in 2022, her colleagues chose her as the first female Senate majority leader in Michigan history.
“One of the things that really struck me as Winnie and I were talking and exploring this potential partnership is that we both have a strong commitment to making sure the bones of government work well, the agencies work well,” Benson explained. “When it comes to the Secretary of State office and how customer service is delivered there, or unemployment benefits or the Department of Health and Human Services, we share a common understanding of having to work through that system when it’s an obstacle course and ensure that it’s instead a helping hand.”
The pick sets up a general-election matchup between two tickets built around Lansing experience. Republican nominee John James, a U.S. representative from Shelby Township, selected state Rep. Jay DeBoyer of Clay Township as his running mate earlier this month. DeBoyer has clashed with Benson before, having led the state House’s Oversight Committee.
Both parties will formally nominate their tickets at conventions later this month; Michigan Democrats meet Aug. 29.
