Leonard Bentz
Leonard Bentz (b. January 21, 1972, in Gulfort, Mississippi) is a former member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, representing the Southern District from 2006-2013. Bentz, a Republican, was first appointed to the PSC in 2006 and won a full term in the November 2007 general election. He was re-elected in 2011. Bentz served as chair of the PSC in 2008 and 2013.[1]
Bentz resigned from the PSC in August 2013 to become the executive director of the South Mississippi Planning and Development District. The new position offered a 48 percent bump in salary for Bentz, whose past experience also includes serving as a Republican member of the Mississippi House of Representatives.[2]
Biography
Bentz previously served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 2004-2006. He was an investigator for the Mississippi Public Service Commission from 1999-2003, and went on to serve as a member of the PSC.[3]
Education
- Graduated, University of Southern Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Academy
- Attended, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Political career
Mississippi Public Service Commission (2006-2013)
Bentz, a Republican, was appointed to the PSC in 2006 and subsequently elected to two four-year terms, in 2007 and 2011. He served the Southern District and was PSC chair in 2008 and 2013. He stepped down on August 19, 2013.
Issues
Presidential preference
2012
Leonard Bentz endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[4]
Mississippi House of Representatives (2004-2006)
Bentz represented District 116 in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 2004 until April 2006.[1]
Elections
2011
Bentz won re-election in 2011. He defeated Travis Rose in the August 2 Republican primary. In a replay of the 2007 race, he defeated Democrat Mike Collier in the general election on November 8, 2011.
Results
Republican primary
| Public Service -- Republican primary results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party | Leonard Bentz 
|
56% | |
| Republican Party | Travis Rose | 44% | |
| Total Votes | 112,805 | ||
General election
| Mississippi Public Service Commission (South/District 2), 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Leonard Bentz Incumbent |
60.1% | 178,804 | |
| Democratic | Mike Collier | 39.9% | 118,813 | |
| Total Votes | 297,617 | |||
| Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State | ||||
2007
Bentz was elected to his first full term on the Mississippi Public Service Commission in 2007. He defeated Democratic candidate Mike Collier in the general election on November 6, 2007.[5]
| Mississippi Public Service Commission, Southern District, 2007 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Leonard Bentz Incumbent |
55.9% | 139,124 | |
| Democratic | Mike Collier | 44.1% | 109,737 | |
| Total Votes | 248,861 | |||
| Election results via Mississippi Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Leonard + Bentz + Mississippi"
See also
- Mississippi Public Service Commission
- Mississippi down ballot state executive elections, 2011
- Public Service Commission
External links
- Campaign website
- Mississippi Public Service Commission - Commissioner Leonard Bentz
- Leonard Bentz on Facebook
- Leonard Bentz on Twitter
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Leonard Bentz on YouTube
- Campaign contributions: 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mississippi Public Service Commission, "About Commissioner Bentz," accessed February 5, 2013
- ↑ gulflive.com, "Leonard Bentz resigns from Mississippi Public Service Commission," August 20, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography of Leonard Bentz," accessed July 10, 2011
- ↑ Mitt Romney for President, "Mitt Romney Announces Support of Mississippi Lt. Governor Reeves and Other Leaders," January 20, 2012 (Archived)
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "November 2007 General Election Results," accessed July 10, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
Mississippi Public Service Commission 2006–2013 |
Succeeded by Steve Renfroe |
