Craig Benson
Craig Benson (born October 8, 1954) is an American politician and businessman. Benson, a Republican, has been the governor of New Hampshire since 2003.
Benson's home is in Rye, New Hampshire. A Catholic, he is married to his wife, Denise.
Biography
Benson was born in New York City in 1954, where in his childhood he struggled with a speech impediment and severe asthma. After receiving a bachelor's degree in finance from Babson College in 1977, Benson attended Syracuse University, graduating with an MBA in 1979.
Benson was elected governor on November 5, 2002 in an open race to succeed the retiring governor, Jeanne Shaheen. In the primaries, Benson spent more than $9 million, most of it his own money, in an effort to defeat former state senator Bruce Keough and former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey to win the Republican nomination. In the general election, Benson overwhelmingly defeated Democratic state Senator Mark Fernald, receiving 56 percent of the votes while Fernald received 30 percent.
