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Ondine Clark-Bonk
Benson has served in the position since 2019, and she is the current Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Michigan.
She was sponsoring an event at the Ore Dock in Marquette, and Edith and I were able to ask her some questions prior to the event.
When I asked about trying to reach young voters, Benson touched on the helpful effect of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, but said that she thinks word of mouth is the most helpful form of communication, talking to friends and family about political problems and politicians they support, saying that face-to-face interaction is "the most effective way to reach anyone."
Benson expressed that the hardest part of her job is when people are unkind and don't tell the truth. There is also lying for personal gain, which can also frustratingly slow down positive change, saying people can "try to play games instead of actually getting stuff done."
While admitting that this is a difficult part of politics, Benson adds that these experiences are "all the more reasons why you need good people on both sides of the aisle to hold the end guard, tell the truth and do good work."
I then asked Benson what being a candidate looks like day to day, to which she answered simply, describing her job as "talking to people," and listening to people's stories and concerns, trying to work with communities to solve problems, then trying to get the people's message to "folks who can help us solve those problems, the state, local, federal level."
She added that she has many conversations with interviewers "like you who want to tell that story."
For my last question, I asked Benson about her advice for people who are too young to vote about getting involved with politics.
She encourages children to hold mock elections to start to get into the political mindset, touching on a memory from "when I was in fourth grade participating in my first mock election" and how "it made a big difference and it starts getting you thinking about what it means to be a voter."
For older kids, Benson reminded us that 15- and 16-year-olds can actually work at the polls on Election Day, which I think is an important part in upholding democracy. She also hopes children can gather information about current events to learn about leaders and ask their parents about who they're voting for and why.
To summarize all this, she said that "being engaged as a citizen can happen at any age," which is so true! She also encourages all those who see a wrong to "try to right it" by using your voice, saying that "that's all you really need to make a difference."
Ondine Clark-Bonk is a 12-year-old who spends her time playing the piano, cuddling her cats and doodling.