Michigan: She fought to restore trust in an election system Trump attacked. Then he won. | David Maraniss/The Washington Post
Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, had just concluded an election night news conference at Ford Field extolling the virtues of the vote when she learned that Donald Trump might be on his way to reclaiming the presidency. She had worked relentlessly all year, and all of that long final day and night, trying to ensure that citizens in her state experienced a calm, safe and accessible election, only to see it lead to the restoration of a man and a movement that seemed the opposite of almost everything she believes in. Although Benson is a Democrat who supported Kamala Harris in a state crucial to the vice president’s chances, she was also the overseer of a nonpartisan election system. As disappointed as she might have been by the national result, her faith in democracy compelled her to accept it. Read Article