Kristina Karamo is a name not many knew until this election cycle.
Despite some polarizing comments in the past, the secretary of state candidate says she’s running to represent all Michigan people.
Karamo gained traction in the GOP after testifying in front of the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee claiming she actually saw election fraud in 2020.
The committee’s investigation, and 250 other state audits, eventually found no wrongdoing. Karamo still has concerns about that election and the one she’s currently running in.
“I’m not one of these individuals who was groomed for public office. I’m just an everyday citizen who saw an issue and was determined to fix it,” said Karamo.
It’s hard to talk about Kristina Karamo’s platform without talking about the 2020 election. Karamo claimed to have seen election fraud as a poll watcher in 2020 and still has her doubts about the way the election was run, even if you don’t like it.
“Pointing those things out does not make one a threat to democracy. That’s nonsense. Those who are parroting those phony talking points simply want to suppress citizens from telling the truth,” said Karamo.
The truth Karamo says is that Michigan has a deeply flawed election process under democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. She’s worried about similar instances of fraud this election cycle, despite 250 audits and the committee she testified in front of finding no major issues.
“Those individuals have no credibility in my estimation. And I do not care if they are Republican,” Karamo told FOX 17.
Karamo, if elected, would like to see more poll challengers in precincts and not just anyone.
“You can’t just have some random individual walking off the street to be a poll challenger. You have to come in with a credentialed organization. So, when I was a poll challenger in 2020, I had to go through training.”
Karamo is on statewide ballots alongside Proposal 2, intended to add election requirements to the state constitution including early voting.
“When we have nine days of early in-person voting, it opens the door for my ballot to be exposed. That’s number one. Number two, it makes operating elections more expensive,” said Karamo.
Karamo says local clerks are already stretched thin financially. Indeed, Secretary Benson asked the Legislature for more money to fund elections, a burden Karamo thinks should rest solely with the state.
“Because the secretary of state makes edicts that the local municipalities are required to follow. And one of the issues in 2020 when Jocelyn Benson mailed out all those absentee ballot applications unsolicited, it created a situation in the local municipalities that many had to hire additional people,” said Karamo. “And for a lot of low-income municipalities, they don’t have the funds to hire those people.”
At local branches, Karamo says she’d put equal focus on in-person and online services, keeping in mind that many citizens who are under-banked can’t use online services as easily. She also wants to cut fees for businesses and people so they don’t have to make tough choices.
“They may have to choose between how much food do I have and can I register my vehicle,” explained Karamo. “Citizens want a person who's been on the other side of that SOS desk.”
But comments from the past have followed Karamo during her run. Remarks comparing abortion to “child sacrifice”, transgender people to “mentally ill adults playing dress up” and living together before marriage as “normalized pedophilia” have some voters concerned.
Karamo said her beliefs wouldn’t affect her work.
“As Secretary of State, irrespective of anyone’s religious beliefs, personal beliefs, lifestyle, whatever category, ethnicity, it doesn’t matter. I have an obligation to serve them, that’s how our pluralistic society works,” said Karamo. “Are you competent? Can you do the job? That’s what matters to me.”
Karamo has also proposed making Election Day a holiday so people can get off work to vote and precincts have an easier time finding election workers.
WATCH FOX 17's full interview with Karamo:
