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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
April 13, 2023

Contact: Angela Benander

(517) 242-9192






Jocelyn Benson and Heaster Wheeler

Heaster Wheeler returning to Department of State as senior advisor to Secretary Benson

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*Lansing, Mich.* ? Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today that Heaster Wheeler, who served as Assistant Secretary of State through her first term, is returning to her administration as a senior advisor.

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?Heaster is a tireless public servant dedicated to protecting the voting rights of all Michigan citizens,? said Benson. ?I am thrilled he is returning to my team to help defend democracy and support citizens across the state through the 2024 election cycle.?

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Wheeler is a longtime community leader with exceptional alliance-building and public-speaking skills. Prior to joining Benson?s administration in 2019, he served as assistant county executive for Wayne County and for more than a decade as executive director of the NAACP Detroit Branch.

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As Assistant Secretary of State, Wheeler helped lead the Michigan Department of State?s (MDOS) public engagement initiatives, ensuring that eligible citizens from underrepresented communities had the access and information they needed to cast their ballot. He also served as the department?s appointee to the city of Detroit?s Workforce Development Board and co-led the MDOS Race and Equity Task Force. He is returning as senior advisor to Benson and the department on Monday, April 17.

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?Right now, nothing is more important than protecting our elections and voters from the attacks we know will escalate as the 2024 election cycle approaches and occurs, which we expect will again target Black voters and other voters of color,? said Wheeler. ?But we will ensure democracy prevails, and I look forward to working with communities across the state to ensure they know how to exercise the new voting rights they are guaranteed by our state Constitution and the power they have when they make their voices heard.?

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