Democrats want voters to believe they’ll stand up to powerful data center developers. Their connections keep complicating that pitch.
The Midwesterner reports that Jocelyn Benson’s husband, a Related Companies executive, personally delivered the rezoning application for the controversial Saline Township data center. Local officials initially rejected the rezoning before litigation and a settlement allowed the project to proceed.
Benson now emphasizes public hearings, transparency and safeguards. Michiganders are entitled to ask how those promises square with her husband’s involvement in a project that proceeded after local officials voted against it.
Democrats can try to distance themselves from unpopular developments. Voters should judge the record alongside the campaign rhetoric.