Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Christine Benson
Christine Benson was a 2016 Democratic candidate for District 38 of the Illinois State Senate.
Benson is superintendent of Streator Elementary Schools.
She is affiliated with the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO), V.O.I.C.E., Illinois Music Educator Association (IMEA), and Mendota Education Foundation.
Benson earned a bachelor's in education and master's in education administration from Illinois State University, and a doctorate in education administration from Northern Illinois University.[1]
Campaign themes
2016
Benson's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
Jobs We need to support investment for improvement in infrastructure projects. This includes upgrading transportation, communication and technology infrastructure so that we can be competitive when courting business and industry. These investments will incentivize businesses and create jobs as well as creating a positive climate for growth. We should explore development of these incentives to not add to the state deficit. The Economy That takes knowing how to make the hard decisions. This is an ideal opportunity to look at the current tax structure from top to bottom and create a fair and equitable system. We need to look at other options before we continue to ask hard working families to set aside more money. Education One of the most distressing facts about education in Illinois is that in some districts the per pupil spending exceeds $15,000 per student and in other districts less than $6,000 is spent per pupil. This disparity exists mostly because of the way education is funded. A student’s zip code determines the resources provided due to the heavy reliance on property taxes to fund education in Illinois. Ethics In Springfield It is impossible to lead without public trust. Look at the track record for governor incarcerations in Illinois and it becomes obvious the need to heal these wounds. Visiting in the communities of the 38th District, the comments shared often was their lack of faith in the political process. It is important to build that trust through transparency, accountability, and communication. An Independent Voice I am "all in." I will dedicate every moment I have and make the sacrifices necessary to do the job. I am no stranger to long hours and hard work and I am very approachable and a good listener. I will work hard to make the right choices and sound decisions for what future generations will have to contend with, answering only to my constituents in the 38th District.[2] |
” |
| —Christine Benson[3] | ||
Elections
2016
- See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Illinois State Senate were held in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was November 30, 2015.[4]
Incumbent Sue Rezin defeated Christine Benson in the Illinois State Senate District 38 general election.[5][6]
| Illinois State Senate, District 38 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Sue Rezin Incumbent |
57.91% | 55,848 | |
| Democratic | Christine Benson | 42.09% | 40,586 | |
| Total Votes | 96,434 | |||
| Source: Illinois State Board of Elections | ||||
Christine Benson ran unopposed in the Illinois State Senate District 38 Democratic primary.[7][8]
| Illinois State Senate, District 38 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Christine Benson (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Sue Rezin ran unopposed in the Illinois State Senate District 38 Republican primary.[9][10]
| Illinois State Senate, District 38 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Sue Rezin Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2012
- See also: Illinois State Senate elections, 2012
Benson ran in the 2012 election for Illinois State Senate District 38. Benson defeated Tom Ganiere and Kevin Kunkel in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012, and was defeated by incumbent Sue Rezin (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[11][12][13]
Benson said she is running "to reclaim the Senate seat in order to serve the best interests of the people, improve the state's financial situation and increase job opportunities."[1][14]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sue Rezin Incumbent |
53.8% | 47,852 | |
| Democratic | Christine Benson | 46.2% | 41,098 | |
| Total Votes | 88,950 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Christine Benson |
42.1% | 3,024 |
| Kevin Kunkel | 32% | 2,299 |
| Tom Ganiere | 25.9% | 1,858 |
| Total Votes | 7,181 | |
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Benson and her husband, Rex, have two children.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Christine + Benson + Illinois + Senate"
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Biographical information submitted to Ballotpedia from candidate on January 18, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Benson for Illinois, "Issues," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election and Campaign Finance Calendar," accessed November 30, 2015
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate list: General Election - 11/8/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election results, General election 2016," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed January 3, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results: GENERAL PRIMARY - 3/15/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed January 3, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results: GENERAL PRIMARY - 3/15/2016," accessed August 8, 2016
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed December 5, 2011
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Official 2012 Primary Results," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections-2012 primary results
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, “Official Vote - November 6, 2012 General Election,” accessed December 31, 2012
