Walt Benson

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Walt Benson

Republican Party

Bernalillo County Commission District 4

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

4

Predecessor

Lonnie Talbert

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of New Mexico, 1998

Graduate

Western Michigan University, 2009

Personal

Birthplace

Albuquerque, N.M.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Personal LinkedIn

Walt Benson (Republican Party) is a member of the Bernalillo County Commission in New Mexico, representing District 4. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.

Benson (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Bernalillo County Commission to represent District 4 in New Mexico. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

George Walton "Walt" Benson was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He obtained an undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico in December 1998 and a graduate degree (M.B.A.) from Western Michigan University and the University of New Mexico in May 2009. Benson is a business owner and is affiliated with the Salvation Army.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Bernalillo County, New Mexico (2024)

General election

General election for Bernalillo County Commission District 4

Incumbent Walt Benson won election in the general election for Bernalillo County Commission District 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Walt Benson (R)	100.0	47,020

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 47,020
= 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.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Bernalillo County Commission District 4

Incumbent Walt Benson advanced from the Republican primary for Bernalillo County Commission District 4 on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Walt Benson	100.0	6,902

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,902
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Benson in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Bernalillo County, New Mexico (2020)

General election

General election for Bernalillo County Commission District 4

Walt Benson defeated Wende Schwingendorf in the general election for Bernalillo County Commission District 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Walt Benson (R)	51.5	38,749
	Submit photo	Wende Schwingendorf (D)	48.5	36,507

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,256
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Bernalillo County Commission District 4

Wende Schwingendorf advanced from the Democratic primary for Bernalillo County Commission District 4 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Wende Schwingendorf	100.0	15,019

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,019
= 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

• Felix Nunez Jr. (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Bernalillo County Commission District 4

Walt Benson defeated E. Tim Cummins, Tina Tomlin, and Sean Kesani in the Republican primary for Bernalillo County Commission District 4 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Walt Benson	47.6	6,665
	Submit photo	E. Tim Cummins	27.9	3,907
		Tina Tomlin	14.2	1,992
	Submit photo	Sean Kesani	10.3	1,449

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,013
= 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.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Walt Benson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released November 7, 2019

Walt Benson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. 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

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

George Walton "Walt" Benson is a NM native, business owner, husband and father of 4. He holds an MA and an MBA with a background in finance and banking. Walt has started several successful businesses which currently employ over 100 New Mexicans. In his free time, he coaches his kids sports teams, serves on the local Board of Salvation Army, sits on the ABQ Public Schools Audit Committee, and he loves spending time with his wife and kids.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Walt is a proven job creator and problem solver. The key to growth lies in job growth.
• Walt is passionate about being tough on crime - stopping crime before crime stops us.
• Walt is passionate about providing addiction and mental health services to the people who need help.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about creating a robust economy with job growth. People need good jobs and if there aren't any available, those people will move their families to where good jobs exist. Furthermore, crime must be addressed effectively. Our law enforcement needs the resources to keep our residents safe and secure. Albuquerque's crime rate has grown out of control and that is pushing good families to move to other states along with our economy.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

This office has the potential to steer New Mexico's largest city in the direction of growth. The office comprises a governing body of 5 commissioners who must work together for the betterment of Bernalillo County.

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

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

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

Integrity, transparency and real world competence are the principles I value the most.

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

Honesty, Integrity, and Competence.

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

Remember to serve your community, not special interests who don't have real skin in the game.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A place where my children find more opportunity than I found.

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

The first job I can remember where I got paid was mowing lawns as a kid. Before that I would do odd jobs for money here and there.
Frankly, my whole family worked hard to make ends meet. We all had to contribute in some way or another - and many times all of us would pool our earnings to pay bills or buy groceries.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The office controls the budget for the county jails, sheriff's department and fire department. They also vote on property taxes and gross receipts tax rates.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

We have had too many office holders with only government and political experience. It's important to have background in business and job creation to know what impact policies will have in a practical sense.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

My background in finance, business, and job creation, as well as my ability to work well with others in the numerous boards I've served on will help me serve our county.

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.

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