Diane E. Benson
| Diane E. Benson | |
|---|---|
|
Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Alaska |
|
|
Election date November 2, 2010 |
|
| Running mate | Ethan Berkowitz |
| Opponent(s) | Mead Treadwell (R) |
| Incumbent | Craig Campbell (R) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 10, 1954 Yakima, Washington |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Green |
| Residence | Eagle River, Alaska |
| Profession | Writer, Inspirational speaker |
Diane E. Benson (born May 10, 1954) is an Alaskan politician, inspirational speaker, video production consultant, published writer and dramatist. On August 24, 2010, she became the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Alaska, defeating three other opponents in the Democratic primary. Benson's running mate for governor was former state House minority leader Ethan Berkowitz; they lost in the general election to the Republican ticket of Sean Parnell and Mead Treadwell by 22% of the vote.
In March 2007, Benson filed in Alaska to make her second bid for the U.S. House of Representatives, but was defeated in the August 2008 Democratic primary by Ethan Berkowitz--the same person with whom she ran on the 2010 governor-lieutenant governor ticket--who was that year a "Red to Blue" candidate supported by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Benson ran for Alaska governor in 2002 and for the U.S. House in 2006.
According to Benson's official biography from her website, unlike her older brothers, she was born outside of Alaska in Yakima, Washington in 1954, while her mother was being treated for tuberculosis. Of Norwegian ancestry on her father's side and Tlingit ancestry on her mother's side, her tribal identity is T'akdeintaan (Sea Tern crest of the Raven Moiety) and Tax' Hit (Snail House).
Benson grew up in southeastern Alaska in foster homes and boarding school as well as logging camps with her father and in Sitka with her grandparents. She began volunteer work with senior citizens at Ketchikan Hospital at the age of 12, and although often homeless, worked a variety of social-service–oriented jobs with the underprivileged and the elderly until she took a position with the Fairbanks Native Association. At the age of 18 Benson was the youngest person ever to serve on the FNA Executive Board, and was invited by then-U.S. Senator Mike Gravel to work in Washington, D.C. She was accepted to study at Stanford University but could not attend due to personal and family reasons. Benson acquired a job as one of the first female tractor-trailer truck drivers on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, in 1975.
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