LANSING — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson received the Brennan Center for Justice at 2023 Legacy Award at a ceremony in New York City on April 25. Benson was selected for the national honor for her work protecting fair elections in Michigan and defending American democracy.

“I am deeply honored and accept this on behalf of the thousands of election officials throughout our country who work every day in ways big and small to fulfill that simple promise held in the power of the vote for every American,” Benson said Benson in a press release. “I am so grateful for the work that the Brennan Center does to help inform and support our work through nonpartisan research and legal advocacy squarely focused on reform, revitalization and defense of our nation’s systems of democracy and justice.”

“We’re honored to recognize Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for her commitment to protecting voting rights and elections in Michigan,” said Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. “Her commitment to free, fair and accurate elections stands as a beacon for the country. At a time when election officials of both parties face new and rising threats, her skill and courage are a model. We appreciate her partnership and are inspired by her leadership.”

Each year the Brennan Center honors “outstanding visionaries who have advanced the goal of what Justice Brennan called ‘common human dignity.’” Past Legacy Award recipients include the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the late U.S. Sen. John McCain and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

The Brennan Center for Justice was founded in 1995 in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. It is an independent, nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize and defend our nation’s systems of democracy and justice.