{{short description|American politician}} {{for|the Maryland state senator|Joanne C. Benson}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Joanne E. Benson | image = Joannebenson.jpg | caption = Benson in 1991 | order = 44th | state = | office = Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota | term_start = January 3, 1995 | term_end = January 4, 1999 | governor = Arne Carlson | predecessor = Joanell Dyrstad | successor = Mae Schunk | office1 = Member of the Minnesota Senate | constituency1 = 16th district (1993–1995)<br>17th district (1991–1993) | term_start1 = January 8, 1991 | term_end1 = January 2, 1995 | predecessor1 = Jim Pehler | successor1 = Dave Kleis | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|01|4}} | birth_place = Le Sueur, Minnesota, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | profession = | spouse = Robert R. Benson | children = 2 | education = St. Cloud State University (BS) }} '''Joanne E. Benson''' (born January 4, 1943) is an American politician and educator who served as the 44th lieutenant governor of Minnesota from January 3, 1995, to January 4, 1999. A Republican, she was elected as Arne Carlson's running mate. From 1991 to 1995, Benson served as a member of the Minnesota Senate.
== Early life and education == Benson was born in Le Sueur, Minnesota. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from St. Cloud State University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benson, Joanne E. - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10044 |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=www.lrl.mn.gov}}</ref>
==Career==
Benson was a member of the Minnesota Senate from 1991 to 1995.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lieutenant governor trivia |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/03/31/lieutenant-governor-trivia |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=MPR News |language=en}}</ref> She became lieutenant governor when she and Arne Carlson won the 1994 Minnesota gubernatorial election in a landslide.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fnmGyMHhj18C&dq=Joanne+Benson+minnesota&pg=PP7 |title=Governor's (Minnesota) Commission on Violent Crimes: Final Report |date=1993 |publisher=DIANE Publishing |isbn=978-1-56806-210-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lass |first=William E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JYVRAAAAQBAJ&dq=Joanne+Benson+minnesota&pg=PA302 |title=Minnesota: A History (Second Edition) (States and the Nation) |date=2000-08-17 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=978-0-393-34854-5 |language=en}}</ref>
Benson later ran in the 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election in the Republican primary for governor, starting off as the front-runner. Despite her attempt to amass enough support within the GOP establishment to ward off any primary challengers, a late entrant to the race, St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, garnered enough delegates to win the Republican endorsement at the state convention. Placing third in the race for delegates behind Coleman and Allen Quist, Benson agreed not to challenge Coleman in the primary. He won the nomination but lost the general election to the Reform Party nominee, Jesse Ventura.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Elazar |first1=Daniel Judah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dtthFigdux0C&dq=Joanne+Benson+minnesota&pg=PA77 |title=Minnesota Politics and Government |last2=Gray |first2=Virginia |last3=Spano |first3=Wyman |date=1999-01-01 |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8032-6714-5 |language=en}}</ref>
Upon leaving office in 1999, Benson became the first chief education officer of the Minnesota Business Academy. In that capacity, she worked with civic and state leaders to raise money for the school.<ref>{{Cite web |title=School to revise the business of learning |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/1999/12/27/editorial1.html |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref> Benson was a member of the Governor’s State Capitol 2005 Commission, a group of prominent Minnesota citizens who were tasked with advising then-Governor Tim Pawlenty on the 2005 centennial celebration of the Minnesota State Capitol.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GOVERNOR PAWLENTY APPOINTS FIFTEEN TO CAPITOL 2005 |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2010/other/101583/www.governor.state.mn.us/mediacenter/pressreleases/appointments/2003/PROD006399.html |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=www.lrl.mn.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Governor's State Capitol 2005 Commission |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/agencies/detail?AgencyID=564 |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=www.lrl.mn.gov}}</ref>
== Personal life == Benson is married to Robert R. Benson.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schier |first=Mary Lahr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fGFenlVI9psC&q=Joanne+Benson+Minnesota+husband |title=Take Your Victories As They Come: The Carlson Years in Minnesota Politics |date=1998 |publisher=M S P Communication |isbn=978-0-9641908-3-2 |language=en}}</ref> She has two children, six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren
==See also== *List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
==References== <references />
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Joanell Dyrstad}} {{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|years=1994}} {{s-aft|after=Gen Olson}} {{s-end}} {{MNLieutenantGovernors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Joanne}} Category:1943 births Category:Lieutenant governors of Minnesota Category:Living people Category:People from Le Sueur, Minnesota Category:Republican Party Minnesota state senators Category:Women state legislators in Minnesota Category:21st-century American women Category:St. Cloud State University alumni Category:20th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature Category:20th-century American women politicians