Chris Benge
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| Chris Benge | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Role: | Former chief of staff | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | Oklahoma State University-Tulsa | ||
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Chris Benge is a Republican politician and political advisor in the state of Oklahoma. He was chief of staff for Gov. Mary Fallin (R) from 2016 to 2019.[1]
Benge is a former Oklahoma secretary of state. Fallin appointed him to the position on November 8, 2013, replacing Larry Parman (R).[2] Benge served as a Republican member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, representing District 68 from 1998 to 2010 and served as speaker of the House from February 2008 to November 2010.
Career
Early career and Oklahoma House of Representatives
Benge managed Benge Painting Company from 1981 to 1997 and was a sales representative for Cintas Corporation from 1997 to 1998.[3] He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa in 2007.[4]
From 1998 through 2010, Benge served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, leaving the chamber due to term limits. Of his time in the state legislature, the Tulsa Beacon reported, "He served six years in House leadership positions, including three years as chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, which is responsible for negotiating and writing the state budget. Benge steered the effort in the Legislature to help attract an NBA franchise to the state, which led to the beginning of the Oklahoma City Thunder."[5]
After leaving the legislature, Benge became an advisor to Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, working as the mayor's director of intergovernmental and enterprise development. In August 2011 he began serving as senior vice president of government affairs at the Tulsa Regional Chamber.[2]
Oklahoma Secretary of State
On October 23, 2013, Gov. Mary Fallin (R) appointed Benge as Oklahoma secretary of state.[1] Fallin said of Benge, “My focus as governor has been to implement pro-growth, fiscally responsible and conservative policies to move this state forward. Chris Benge’s leadership and experience as a legislator and leader of the House will help us continue in those efforts. I’m delighted to have him serve as a member of my Cabinet."[6]
In February 2015, Fallin also appointed Benge—who is a member of the Cherokee Nation—as the state's Native American liaison.[7]
Mary Fallin chief of staff
Fallin appointed Benge as her chief of staff on October 10, 2016, saying that he would retain his role as Native American liaison. Of Benge, she said, "Chris Benge is a widely-respected consensus builder who has been in the trenches and knows how to achieve success in the Legislature and across the state. His temperament, experience and love for Oklahoma and public service make him an excellent fit for this role."[8] Benge served as chief of staff until 2019.
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2017, Ballotpedia identified Chris Benge as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[9]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[9]
Elections
2008
On November 4, 2008, Benge won re-election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Because he ran unopposed, the number of votes was not published.[10] $85,275 was raised for this campaign.[11]
Campaign finance summary
Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Benge and his wife, Allison, have two children: Garrett and Hayden.[3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Oklahoman, "Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin announces staff changes," October 11, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Times Union, "Former OK House Speaker named secretary of state," October 23, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Project Vote Smart, "Chris Benge's Biography," accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ Tulsa World, "Chris Benge: OSU-Tulsa essential to get there from here," February 26, 2014
- ↑ Tulsa Beacon, "Benge named Fallin’s chief of staff," October 20, 2016
- ↑ Edmond Sun, "Fallin names Benge as secretary of state," October 23, 2013
- ↑ KGOU, "Secretary Of State Chris Benge Named Gov. Fallin's Native American Liaison," February 9, 2015
- ↑ Office of Gov. Mary Fallin, "Gov. Fallin Announces Cabinet, Senior Staff Changes," October 10, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
- ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Unopposed Candidates Elected- 2008 General Election," accessed May 25, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 campaign contributions," accessed May 26, 2014
