John Benson, a professional engineer and longtime Brookfield public servant, announced Monday that he is running for election to the Vermont Senate representing Orange County, where he has held an appointed seat since January.
Benson was tapped by Governor Phil Scott earlier this year to fill a vacancy in the Orange County district created when Larry Hart resigned.
Benson will face the winner of the August 11 Democrat primary between Rep. Monique Priestley and Rose Lucenti.
His professional background is rooted in engineering — he graduated from Vermont Technical College and joined the Randolph firm DuBois & King in 1974, where he built a career in civil and environmental work. His civic record includes 35 years with the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department, 28 of them as Fire Chief, 16 years on the Brookfield Selectboard (eight as Chair), and a stint as the town’s Emergency Management Coordinator.
Scott has endorsed Benson’s campaign. “John has a long record of dedicated public service, which is one of the reasons I appointed him to the Vermont Senate earlier this year,” the governor said in a statement.
Benson’s platform centers on issues that tend to dominate Vermont legislative debates: property tax relief tied to education funding, housing costs, rural economic development, health care access, and continued recovery from flooding. He has also emphasized fiscal restraint and public safety.
Kristi Ehlers of Brookfield will serve as campaign treasurer; Sam Lincoln of Randolph Center is campaign manager. More information is available at bensonforvtsenate.com.