Clyde Benson

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Clyde Benson
Image of Clyde Benson
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 8, 2022

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

2009 - 2021

Personal
Birthplace
Winchester, Tenn.
Religion
Baptist
Profession
Emergency medical services
Contact

Clyde Benson (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 4th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Benson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Clyde Benson was born in Winchester, Tennessee. He served in the U.S. Army from 2009 to 2021. His career experience includes working in EMS. Benson has been affiliated with the Convention of States, LibertyGuard, VFW, and NRA.[1]

Elections

2022

See also: Tennessee's 4th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 4

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 4 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Scott DesJarlais
Scott DesJarlais (R)
 
70.6
 
122,401
Image of Wayne Steele
Wayne Steele (D) Candidate Connection
 
25.7
 
44,648
Image of Mike Winton
Mike Winton (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
1.6
 
2,834
Image of Clyde Benson
Clyde Benson (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
1,806
David Leighton Jones (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
708
Image of Tharon Chandler
Tharon Chandler (Independent)
 
0.3
 
585
Joseph Magyer (Independent)
 
0.3
 
455

Total votes: 173,437
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 4

Wayne Steele defeated Arnold White in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 4 on August 4, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Wayne Steele
Wayne Steele Candidate Connection
 
65.1
 
11,168
Arnold White
 
34.9
 
5,994

Total votes: 17,162
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 4

Incumbent Scott DesJarlais advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 4 on August 4, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Scott DesJarlais
Scott DesJarlais
 
100.0
 
60,699

Total votes: 60,699
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

See also: United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2020

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2020 (August 6 Democratic primary)

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2020 (August 6 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Tennessee

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Tennessee on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Bill Hagerty
Bill Hagerty (R)
 
62.2
 
1,840,926
Image of Marquita Bradshaw
Marquita Bradshaw (D) Candidate Connection
 
35.2
 
1,040,691
Image of Elizabeth McLeod
Elizabeth McLeod (Independent)
 
0.6
 
16,652
Image of Yomi Faparusi
Yomi Faparusi (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
10,727
Steven Hooper (Independent)
 
0.3
 
9,609
Image of Kacey Morgan
Kacey Morgan (Independent) (Unofficially withdrew) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
9,598
Image of Ronnie Henley
Ronnie Henley (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
8,478
Image of Aaron James
Aaron James (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
7,203
Image of Eric William Stansberry
Eric William Stansberry (Independent)
 
0.2
 
6,781
Image of Dean Hill
Dean Hill (Independent)
 
0.2
 
4,872
Image of Jeffrey Grunau
Jeffrey Grunau (Independent)
 
0.1
 
4,160
Image of John Gentry
John Gentry (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
64

Total votes: 2,959,761
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Tennessee

Marquita Bradshaw defeated Robin Kimbrough Hayes, James Mackler, Gary Davis, and Mark Pickrell in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Tennessee on August 6, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Marquita Bradshaw
Marquita Bradshaw Candidate Connection
 
35.5
 
117,962
Image of Robin Kimbrough Hayes
Robin Kimbrough Hayes Candidate Connection
 
26.6
 
88,492
Image of James Mackler
James Mackler
 
23.8
 
78,966
Image of Gary Davis
Gary Davis
 
9.3
 
30,758
Image of Mark Pickrell
Mark Pickrell Candidate Connection
 
4.8
 
16,045

Total votes: 332,223
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Tennessee

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Tennessee on August 6, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Bill Hagerty
Bill Hagerty
 
50.8
 
331,267
Image of Manny Sethi
Manny Sethi
 
39.4
 
257,223
Image of George Flinn Jr.
George Flinn Jr.
 
3.4
 
22,454
Image of Jon Henry
Jon Henry Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
8,104
Image of Natisha Brooks
Natisha Brooks Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
8,072
Image of Byron Bush
Byron Bush Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
5,420
Clifford Adkins
 
0.8
 
5,316
Image of Terry Dicus
Terry Dicus Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
2,279
Image of Tom Emerson Jr.
Tom Emerson Jr.
 
0.3
 
2,252
Image of David Schuster
David Schuster Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
2,045
John Osborne
 
0.3
 
1,877
Image of Roy Cope
Roy Cope
 
0.3
 
1,791
Image of Kent Morrell
Kent Morrell Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
1,769
Image of Aaron Pettigrew
Aaron Pettigrew
 
0.2
 
1,622
Glen Neal Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
1,233

Total votes: 652,724
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2016

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Tennessee House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 4, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 7, 2016.

Incumbent David Alexander defeated Nancy Silvertooth in the Tennessee House of Representatives District 39 general election.[2][3]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 39 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png David Alexander Incumbent 67.91% 15,920
     Democratic Nancy Silvertooth 32.09% 7,522
Total Votes 23,442
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State


Nancy Silvertooth defeated Kathleen Swift-Lawson and Tony Peoples in the Tennessee House of Representatives District 39 Democratic primary.[4][5]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 39 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Nancy Silvertooth 76.24% 1,335
     Democratic Kathleen Swift-Lawson 11.99% 210
     Democratic Tony Peoples 11.76% 206
Total Votes 1,751


Incumbent David Alexander defeated Clyde Benson in the Tennessee House of Representatives District 39 Republican primary.[4][5]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 39 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png David Alexander Incumbent 86.82% 3,912
     Republican Clyde Benson 13.18% 594
Total Votes 4,506

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Clyde Benson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Benson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I was born and raised in the small rural community of Huntland, TN, where I still live. In fact, I live in the same house that I grew up in with my parents living next door.

I am a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves and served from 2009-2021 with one deployment to Afghanistan in 2011. Primarily, I have done mostly blue collar work and currently work in healthcare in a non-healthcare role. On March 19, 2022, I married the woman I have loved for over 36 years, since we were kids.

  • I am a veteran who will continue to fight for this country.
  • I am not a politician, but believe in the AMERICA FIRST initiative.
  • Pro-Life, Pro-2A, Pro-Constitution and Pro-MAGA. I’M
First and foremost, we must fix our immigration crisis. We cannot continue to allow illegal immigrants into our country by the thousands. We must build the wall bigger than ever imagined.
Our national debt is out of control. Currently, Congress’ answer is to raise the debt ceiling and continue to bankrupt our country. I want my grandchildren to grow up in a prosperous nation and will work to make that a reality.
This may sound very cliche, but who better to look up to than Jesus Christ.
Any book by Dr. Ben Carson. His life and his perspective are what we need more of in Washington D.C.
The main priority for all elected officials must be to serve in the best interests of the American people, not themselves or their parties.
The ability to understand the experiences, beliefs and feelings of others. I am not going into office thinking I know all the answers like most in Congress believe.
Developing personal relationships with constituents and state representatives to find out how I can better help my district, the state and our country.
I would like everyone to remember me as someone who fought for our country and for the American people and did not care about what others in Congress thought of me. I am not going there to make friends. I am going simply because they have failed the American people.
I remember being in the 2nd grade and watching the space shuttle Challenger explode.
I was 18 and got a job as a cart pusher at Wal-Mart.
No book in particular, but I enjoy any book that can learn from.
Kingdom (Cody Rhodes' theme song)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szK50XxnU4s

[Verse 1]
Adrenaline, in my soul
Every thought out of control
Do it all to get them off their feet
Crowd is here, about to blow
Waitin' for me to start the show
Out the curtain, lights go up I'm home
(Whoa!)

[Pre-Chorus]
And my father said, when I was younger
Hard times breed better men (better men!)

[Chorus]
You took it all away, I give it all away
Can't take my freedom
Here to change the game, a banner made of pain
I built my kingdom
Now you bow to me
You took my dreams but not my name
You'll follow me until the end
I am my kingdom


[Verse 2]
Lights go down, I'm ready now
Tear this roof off for the town
Gonna give 'em what they came to see
Hear the crowd, on their toes
Ready for me to start the show
Out the curtain, lights go up I'm home
(Whoa!)

[Pre-Chorus]
And my father said, when I was younger
Hard times breed better men (better men!)

[Chorus]
You took it all away, I give it all away
Can't take my freedom
Here to change the game, a banner made of pain
I built my kingdom
Now you bow to me
You took my dreams but not my name
You'll follow me until the end
I am my kingdom

[Bridge]
You tried to tell me what to do
I saw the door and kicked it down
I stepped right over and right through
And you can never stop me now
(Bow!) (Now!)
I am the king and you're the crown
Now watch me as I take my throne
And rule my kingdom


[Chorus]
You took it all away, I give it all away
Can't take my freedom
Here to change the game, a banner made of pain
I built my kingdom
Now you bow to me
You took my dreams but not my name
You'll follow me until the end
I am my kingdom
You took it all away, I give it all away
Can't take my freedom
Here to change the game, a banner made of pain
I built my kingdom
Now you bow to me
You took my dreams but not my name
You'll follow me until the end
I am my kingdom

[Outro]

Now you bow to me
I am not afraid to say that over the last several years, I have struggled financially. At times, I have worked 2-3 jobs at once to make ends meet and still live paycheck to paycheck. I have had to borrow money from family just to get gas to get to work. I am getting better, but in all honesty, most of my first year's pay from Congress would be to going to pay off bills.
I don't have a sob story, but I have just made some bad financial choices in life. I hope that I am able to fix my situation and help others not make the same mistakes that I have. One of my favorite quotes is, "Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make them all yourself."
As compared to the senate members who represent entire states, House members represent a smaller area and are able to create more personal relationships with constituents.
I believe the desire to serve in the best interest of your country is reason enough. If you see something wrong, work to change it.
The combination of rising illegal immigration, a rising national debt and the potential for a nuclear World War 3 would devastate the U.S. economy like we have never seen before. We must take action now.
As a veteran, I would love to serve on both the Armed Services and Veteran Affairs committees. A personal opinion is that you should be a veteran to serve on these committees.
I would also love to serve on the committees of Homeland Security, Education & Labor and Science, Space & Technology committees.
Yes. That’s all it should take to decide if the person truly represents you and your beliefs and are working to fulfill their campaign promises.
I am a strong advocate of term limits. My personal opinion is 12 years…6 terms in the House, 2 in the Senate or any combination of the two.

Furthermore, I believe that once you announce your candidacy for another office, whether it be higher or lower, you automatically vacate your current seat and are unable to run again until the next voting cycle.
Leading up to the 2020 election, we had several members of Congress who were running for President who were voting on President Trump’s impeachment. This was a direct conflict of interest and should never happen again.

Many members of Congress use term limits as a campaign promise but never follow through because they know it will get shut down. That is why this should not be a vote by Congress themselves. It should be a vote BY THE PEOPLE. I have joined with the Convention of States to try and get more states to join and get this on the ballot in the next election cycle.
My plan is to be my own person. I want to be the model for future representatives. But if I had to choose anyone in Congress to say I want to be more like, it would be people like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz who are not afraid to say what needs to be said. However, I will take it to a whole different level. Congress has failed the American people for too long.
To start, let me say that I plan on winning this election by providing examples of why people should vote for me, not why they should not vote for either of my opponents.
With that being said, I will say this particular story is about the failure of our current incumbent. I received an email from a disabled veteran who has said he has reached out to Scott DesJarlais on many occasions and has gotten nowhere. As a veteran, taking care of my fellow veterans is a first priority. I plan to develop relationships with the VA whether I get on the VA committee or not. Our veterans deserve our utmost respect and should receive all the help they are entitled to and should not have to wait for months to get an appointment to have issues taken care of, whether it's issues from combat or not. Lifetime healthcare is a must have for veterans.
I have a joke about paper, but it's tearable.
Absolutely. The problem is that we currently have too many members who want it their way or no way and who are more loyal to each other and parties rather than what is in the best interests of the American people.
I would have to see what all the options are and what needs to change. I am a strong advocate for smaller government and getting unneeded money out of politics.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Clyde Benson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Benson's responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Funding the wall, healthcare reform (coming up with a better plan that would help all Americans) and strengthening our military more than ever.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Immigration and welfare reform are my 2 biggest concerns. I believe you should follow the proper channels to come to our country and I believe that if you can work, you should. Too many people take advantage of the system.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Presidents Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump are two of my biggest political heroes. Both came into office as outsiders and completely changed the game. Outside of politics, another I look up to is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Many don’t know his story about what he went through before he found success in pro wrestling and eventually Hollywood. His life was filled with hardship that he fought through and overcame.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

On my website, http://www.clydebenson.com, there is a 5 minute video called A Visitor From the Past on the homepage. It perfectly explains my views on our current problems that we need to fight for.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I have always valued my work ethic. That is perhaps the single most important. Aside from that, I plan to bring the 7 Army Values that have been a part of my life and have only been strengthened by 10 years in the Army Reserves...Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honesty, Integrity and Personal Courage. The acronym spells LDRSHIP.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

The values I mentioned above including my work ethic. All seem to be lost in today’s Congress. On top of the Army values, my Christian values and my intent to uphold the Constitution will make me the best candidate and I will fight to uphold every single one of those things.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To serve in the best interest of the American people above all else. To uphold the Constitution and to fight for our country.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be remembered as someone who fought for this country both outside and inside of government.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was in second grade when the space shuttle Challenger explosion happened. It was the first time I can remember our country mourning in unison.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a cart pusher at Walmart. I worked there for about 3 months before taking a cook job at Sonic where I worked for several months before moving to a factory job.

What happened on your most awkward date?

Perhaps the most awkward was my first...my senior prom. I never dated in high school, but had a crush on this one girl for a couple of years. She was a couple of years behind me and I really don’t think she liked me too much. But when I had told my best friend that I wasn’t going to our prom, he told her. She was his cousin. So a week before prom, she asked me if I would take her. I still look at it as a pity date which is what made it awkward, but it’s still a somewhat fond memory. We didn’t hold hands and I really don’t even remember dancing. But it was still nice to have gotten the chance to go out with her. We still see each other on occasion and we can talk about everything under the sun, but prom never comes up.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

Thanksgiving. It is a time to celebrate our nation as well as remember what we are thankful for in our lives.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I love self help books, especially financial ones. So of course, one of my favorites is Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey. Another of course is The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump long before he became president. And I must also include the Bible. For every hurdle in life, you can find a passage to get you through it.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman...the ability to take over the world, but the self control not to and the willingness to serve and protect others.

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

My cat. Her love is unconditional.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The Oompa Loompa songs from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I really have no idea why, but I found myself singing them the other day.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Over the last several years, I have struggled financially. I have worked hard to better manage my money and will continue to do so.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Our biggest problem now is all of the in-fighting within our country. We need to come together and fight in the best interest of our country.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The Senate has the ability and the power to serve in the best interest of our country and our people.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Several years ago, I would have said yes to this question. But now more than ever, I believe we need more “common” people to take on the challenge. We, the middle class, are the backbone of this country.

What do you think of the filibuster?

It can be effective, but I believe it’s been used more as a weapon nowadays to prevent our country from moving forward. Sadly, this has been used through President Trump’s first term by those who oppose him. Not for any other reason other than that fact. They are trying to sabotage his presidency.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

I have said on numerous occasions that all of my decisions would be based on 3 things: 1) Will it be supported by my Christian belief? 2) Is it in the best interest of the country and the American people? 3) Will it uphold and strengthen the Constitution? These 3 things will also be used to confirm appointees.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other senators?

Absolutely. We need unity within government.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would love to serve on both foreign affairs and military committees. On top of building relationships within our own government, we must also strive to build relationships with other governments around the world. And as a veteran, I would love the opportunity to better serve my brothers and sisters and ensure they get all of the help and support they need from government.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. Senate, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

At some point, yes. But right now, it’s not on my radar.

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Despite his involvement with the conspiracy against President Trump, I looked up to Senator John McCain. His status as a Vietnam vet and former POW make his life and his rise to the senate very admirable.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.


See also


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Footnotes


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