Holly Benson
Anna Holliday "Holly" Benson (born June 4, 1971, in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina) is a former member of the Florida House of Representatives and former Secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. On October 30, 2009, she announced her candidacy for the statewide office of attorney general, the seat being vacated by Republican Bill McCollum, who is running for governor, in the 2010 election.[1] Benson failed to secure the Republican nomination on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 after receiving a little over twenty-nine percent of the vote.[2]
Education
- Graduated from Booker T. Washington High School (1989)
- Bachelor's degree, Dartmouth College (1993)
- Juris Doctorate degree, University of Florida College of Law (1996)
Political career
During her six year tenure in the Florida House of Representatives, Benson chaired the Health & Family Services Policy Council and co-chaired the Select Committee on Medicaid Reform. Additionally, she was also a member of Fiscal Council, the Government Operations Appropriations Committee, the Growth Management Committee, the Health Care Appropriations Committee, and the Rules & Calendar Council. On December 26, 2006, Governor Charlie Crist appointed Benson as Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation; four days later, she resigned from the Florida House of Representatives. In February 2008, she was named by Crist as Secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration; she resigned from the position on October 15, 2009, in order to make a run for state attorney general.[3]
Political issues
Gay adoption
In late-May 2010, Benson reaffirmed her support of the decision made by the Florida State Legislature to bar same-sex couples from adopting; so far, Florida is the only state in the Union to take such action. The former state representative argued that the measure was based on the argument that the "best home for every child is a two-parent household where there’s a father and a mother" and that she feels perfectly comfortably backing that position.[4]
Illegal immigration
Benson sharply criticized the Los Angeles City Council after it voted to boycott businesses from Arizona over the state's controversial immigration measure, Senate Bill 1070 - The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, more commonly known as Arizona SB 1070. Scheduled to take effect on July 28, 2010, the legislation makes it a state misdemeanor crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying proper citizenship papers required by federal law, authorizes state and local law enforcement of federal immigration laws, and cracks down on those sheltering, hiring and transporting illegal aliens into the United States. The former state representative rebuked the council's charges of racial profiling, arguing that the new law "is about protecting our borders and ensuring that immigrants living and working in our country are doing so legally," not racial discrimination.[5]
Other roles
- Treasurer, Arts Council of Northwest Florida (1997-1998)
- Advocacy Chair, Arts Council of Northwest Florida (1998-1999)
- Founder/Chair, Scooper Bowl Ice Cream Festival (1998-present)
- Founder/Chair, Culture Club Monthly Arts Social (1999)
- Secretary, Arts Council of Northwest Florida (1999-2000)
- Member, Bay Day (2000-present)
- Member, Pensacola Downtown Rotary Club
- Member, Women's Advisory Council at the Sacred Heart Hospital
Elections
2010
- See also: Florida Attorney General election, 2010
| 2010 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary[6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party |  Pam Bondi
|
37.9% | |
| Republican Party | Jeff Kottkamp | 32.8% | |
| Republican Party | Holly Benson | 29.3% | |
| Total Votes | 1,211,376 | ||
2006
- 2006 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - Republican Primary
- Holly Benson ran unopposed
| 2006 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - General Election[7] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 Holly Benson (R)
|
62.4% | |||
| Elizabeth Campbell (D) | 37.6% | |||
| Total votes | 37,879 | |||
2004
- 2004 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - Republican Primary
- Holly Benson ran unopposed
| 2004 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - General Election[8] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Holly Benson (R)
|
99.9% | |||
| Andy Roberts (WRI) | 0.1% | |||
| Total votes | 48,910 | |||
2002
- 2002 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - Republican Primary
- Holly Benson ran unopposed
| 2002 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - General Election[9] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Holly Benson (R)
|
82.3% | |||
| Tom Petrone (Libertarian) | 17.7% | |||
| Total votes | 38,919 | |||
2000
| 2000 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - Republican Primary[10] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Holly Benson (R)
|
57.7% | |||
| Ed Anderson (R) | 24.5% | |||
| Gerald McKenzie (R) | 17.8% | |||
| Total votes | 5,716 | |||
| 2000 Race for Florida House of Representatives, District 3 - General Election[11] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Holly Benson (R)
|
53.1% | |||
| John H. Wyche (D) | 46.9% | |||
| Total votes | 37,844 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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Awards
- Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year (1999) from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives
- Legislative Leadership Award (2001) from the Public Land and Trust
- Legislative Award (2001) from the American Heart Association
- Legislator of the Year Award (2002) from the Florida Medical Association
- Legislative Award (2002) from the American Cancer Society
- President's Legislative Award (2003) from the Florida Bar
- Medical Group Management Association Award (2003)
- Escambia County Award of Appreciation (2003)
- Service Award (2003) from the American Heart Association
- Legislator of the Year Award (2004) from the Northwest Florida League of Cities
- Legislator of the Year Award (2005) from the Florida Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery
- Legislator of the Year Award (2005) from the Florida Osteopathic Medical Society
- Legislator of the Year Award (2006) from NAMI
Contact information
Campaign address:
Holly Benson for Florida Attorney General
PO Box 998
Tallahassee, Florida 32302
Phone: (850) 224-3800
See also
External links
- Florida House of Representatives - Holly Benson (R-3) page
- Holly Benson's Facebook profile
- Holly Benson's Twitter account
- Hollybenson.com 2010 Campaign website
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine was used to recall this version of the website from August 17, 2010.
Footnotes
- ↑ Miami Herald, "GOP adds Holly Benson to Florida attorney general race" 30 Oct. 2009 (dead link)
- ↑ First Coast News, "Pam Bondi Wins GOP Bid for Fla. Attorney General; Kottkamp Concedes" 24 Aug. 2010
- ↑ Health News Florida, "Benson resigns as AHCA chief" 15 Oct. 2009
- ↑ Saint Petersblog 2.0 "AG candidate Holly Benson reaffirms her stance against gay adoption" 31 May, 2010
- ↑ Sunshine State News, "Holly Benson Backs New AZ Immigration Law" 13 May, 2010
- ↑ Florida Department of State - 2010 Republican Attorney General Primary Election Results
- ↑ Florida Department of State - 2006 General Election Results
- ↑ Florida Department of State - 2004 General Election Results
- ↑ Florida Department of State - 2002 General Election Results
- ↑ Florida Department of State - 2000 Primary Results
- ↑ Florida Department of State - 2000 General Election Results
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by DeeDee Ritchie |
Florida House of Representatives - District 3 2000–2006 |
Succeeded by Clay Ford |
