Latest news with #BarbByrum
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Election administrators from across Michigan endorse Byrum for secretary of state
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum at a press conference announcing Democrats' voting rights bill package, Nov. 3, 2021, at the Ingham County Courthouse | Laina G. Stebbins A bipartisan group of current and former county clerks from across the state has endorsed Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum's bid to receive the Democratic nomination for secretary of state. Byrum's campaign to seek the Michigan Democratic Party nomination on Monday announced that it has received support from Washtenaw County Clerk Larry Kestenbaum, Genesee County Clerk Domonique Clemons, Saginaw County Clerk Vanessa Guerra, Kalamazoo County Clerk Meredith Place, Muskegon County Clerk Karen Buie, Bay County Clerk Katie Zanotti, Midland County Clerk Ann Manary, Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma, Menominee County Clerk Marc Kleiman, Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope and Westland City Clerk Richard LeBlanc Former Ingham clerk Mike Bryanton, former Presque Isle clerk Ann Marie Main and former Ontonagon clerk Stacy Preiss also issued support for Byrum. 'It is so humbling to be recognized by your peers and supported in my candidacy,' Byrum said in a statement. 'This bipartisan group of election administrators represents all parts of the State and a diverse array of our residents. These clerks know what it takes to run elections and I am honored that they believe that I am the right choice to be Secretary of State.' Buie said in a statement that Byrum has 'the experience, knowledge, commitment, and integrity to be our next Secretary of State.' Kleiman, the past president of the Michigan Association of County Clerks, in a statement praised Byrum's wealth of experience as an invaluable asset. 'Barb has been a leader in the election administrator community and has a strong grasp of election law and how to practically apply it to ensure that our elections are smooth and secure,' Kleiman said. Byrum announced her candidacy last month. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie is the only other name in the race on the Democratic side. Michigan's political parties nominate candidates for secretary of state and attorney general and do not participate in the primary process. Michigan Democrats will nominate a candidate for secretary of state at their state party convention in the spring of 2026. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Barb Byrum announces campaign for Michigan Secretary of State
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum is running for Michigan Secretary of State in the 2026 election cycle. Current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, is term limited and unable to run for re-election. Benson has already announced her intentions to run for state governor in the next election cycle. The Michigan Secretary of State office responsibilities include voter registration and related election details; along with vehicle registration, driver licenses and state identification card logistics that are managed through SOS branch offices statewide. "I'm running for Secretary of State because I believe elections should be fair, secure and accessible for voters today and in future generations, and that Michiganders deserve an exceptional customer service experience at every Secretary of State office," Byrum said in her announcement. Byrum served six years in the Michigan House of Representatives, during which she was Chair of the Agriculture Committee and the Insurance Committee, Democratic Vice Chair of the Redistricting and Elections Committee, and Chair of the Democratic Caucus. She was then elected Ingham County Clerk in 2012, where her duties included handling election matters at the local level. During the years since, she has run 40 elections and several recounts. She was one of the first local clerks in Michigan to complete the 2016 presidential recount. During a brief time in 2014 when same-sex marriage was legalized in Michigan amid the appeal of the Obergefell v. Hodges case, Byrum opened her office and conducted one of the first same-sex marriage ceremonies in the State of Michigan. Byrum is also a former small business owner, who owned and operated Byrum Ace Hardware in Charlotte for 18 years. "Election officials like me take great pride in ensuring that our elections are secure and that every qualified, registered voter can easily exercise their right to vote," said Byrum. "I fight back against those who would seek to make it harder to vote and those who attack our democratic process because our democracy is worth fighting for. As Michigan's next Secretary of State, I will ensure that Michigan will continue to run free, fair and secure elections, as we have these many years."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ingham County clerk joins secretary of state race
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum talks about Proposal 2 in Lansing, Jan. 24, 2023 | Ward Beard Barb Byrum will seek the Michigan Democratic Party nomination for secretary of state in 2026, she announced Wednesday. As Ingham County Clerk for the last decade, Byrum has overseen 40 elections and several recounts. She made a name for herself nationally in 2014 when the Obergefell v. Hodges case – which eventually legalized same-sex marriage nationwide – was on appeal, and allowed a short window for states to recognize those marriages for the first time before the case was finalized. Byrum opened her office to those couples and performed one of the first same-sex marriage ceremonies in the state. Byrum also served in the Michigan House of Representatives for six years before being elected to as the Ingham County clerk in 2012, and previously owned and operated an Ace Hardware store in Charlotte for nearly 20 years. 'I'm running for Secretary of State because I believe elections should be fair, secure and accessible for voters today and in future generations, and that Michiganders deserve an exceptional customer service experience at every Secretary of State office,' Byrum said in a statement. 'For more than 20 years, I've served the public as a state legislator and as a County Clerk, and I'd be honored to continue serving the people of Michigan as the next Secretary of State.' Byrum is a longtime advocate for voters' rights and routinely uses her social media pages to explain complex election matters, especially in the wake of the 2020 election, when Republicans refused to accept the results of the presidential contest and fomented numerous unfounded election conspiracies. In a news release announcing her campaign, Byrum said election officials like herself take pride in ensuring Michigan's elections are secure and that every qualified voter has a chance to have their voice heard. 'I fight back against those who would seek to make it harder to vote and those who attack our democratic process because our democracy is worth fighting for,' Byrum said. 'As Michigan's next Secretary of State, I will ensure that Michigan will continue to run free, fair and secure elections, as we have these many years.' Her announcement also came with an endorsement from fellow Democratic Genesee County Clerk-Register Domonique Clemons, who called Byrum 'a leader among the clerk community and knows elections backwards and forwards.' 'She is the go-to expert for new clerks when they need assistance, and is always ready to support,' Clemons said in a statement. 'Barb is a vocal advocate for voter rights and election integrity. She is steadfast in defending democracy against those who try to undermine our election process.' Michigan campaign finance reporting documents show Byrum formed her candidate committee on May 15 with a reporting waiver requested, which typically means candidates plan to raise and spend less than $1,000 in the election cycle. At present, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie is the only other name in the race on the Democratic side. Michigan's political parties nominate candidates for secretary of state and attorney general and do not participate in the primary process. Michigan Democrats will nominate a candidate for secretary of state at their state party convention in the spring of 2026. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Byrum will seek 2026 Secretary of State nomination
MASON, Mich. (WLNS) — The 'worst-kept secret' in political circles is out—Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum has officially filed for the Democratic Nomination for Secretary of State. 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. Perhaps one of the worst-kept secrets is that I'm running for the nomination — for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State,' Bryum tells 6 News in an exclusive television interview about her run. The 47-year-old already has an opponent. Michigan's current Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Ederbie announced his candidacy for the post in January. Current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to the post. She's seeking the 2026 Democratic nomination for governor — in a crowded field. Republicans have no official candidates for Secretary of State. In Michigan, partisan gubernatorial candidates will be selected in an open primary in August 2026. However, candidates for Secretary of State, Attorney General and positions on various state university board as well as the state Board of Education are selected during a statewide party convention. Byrum says she expects the convention could happen as soon as April 2026. Byrum, who is married with two teenage sons, has served three terms in the state House of Representatives. She represented a district that was competitively split between Republican and Democratic voters. After being term-limited from the House, Byrum sought — and won — the Ingham County Clerk post. She's served in that position for 12 years. In November 2024, she cruised to an easy re-election, garnering 66.8% of Ingham County's vote, reports Ballotpedia. As clerk, her X account has become a go-to for commentary on election concerns, including election denialism. She says she is ready to roll if chosen by the Democratic Party to run for the position. 'Michigan deserves a secretary of state who's ready to hit the ground running,' she tells 6 News. 'I have been on the ground. I have ran 40 elections already in my 12 years as county clerk. I have conducted numerous recounts. Presidential 2016 presidential recount was my first. And I am experienced. I'm time-tested. I've been elected multiple times and I have the experience necessary to run elections and, quite frankly, to go toe to toe with election deniers or anyone who attacks our elections or the integrity of our elections, for that matter.'Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
REAL ID deadline is coming up—are you ready?
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The REAL ID deadline is coming up, and it may affect your next flight. Beginning May 7, Michiganders will need to have a REAL ID-compliant document to fly domestically in the United States and enter any federal government buildings. Michigan's old license design has a star in a gold circle, and the new license design has a star in a silhouette of Michigan. State officials say 70% of Michigan's driver licenses and state IDs were REAL ID-compliant as of March 21, but for the 30% that aren't, you will need to visit the Secretary of State's office and present either your current license or ID, a valid passport or birth certificate—and a certified legal name change document if your name is different from your birth certificate. Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum says there are a few important notes to remember for Michiganders seeking to obtain a REAL ID: 'It's important that your viewers know that in order to obtain. A certified copy of a birth record. A certified copy of a marriage license. They had to have been born in the county of the county clerk that they're requesting that record for, or for the marriage, they have to have filed that marriage license in the county in which they are requesting that marriage license for, so that is something that they should keep in mind, because if they were born out of state or not, any of county, they are going to need to contact that county clerk and keep in mind that it will take some time to get those records, especially if they're out of state.' After the May 7 deadline, Michiganders will still be able to change their license to a REAL ID, and Byrum says Michiganders must act fast in obtaining these legal documents in order to protect their future voting rights. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
