Ken Bennett

Ken Bennett
19th Secretary of State of Arizona
In office January 26, 2009 – January 5, 2015
Governor	Jan Brewer
Preceded by	Jan Brewer
Succeeded by	Michele Reagan
President of the Arizona Senate
In office January 2003 – January 2007
Preceded by	Randall Gnant
Succeeded by	Tim Bee
Personal details
Born	(1959-08-01) August 1, 1959 Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jeanne Tenney
Children	3
Alma mater	Yavapai College Arizona State University
Religion	Mormonism
Website	bennettarizona.com

Ken Bennett is a Republican politician and businessman who served as president of the Arizona Senate, and served as the 19th Secretary of State of Arizona, from 2009 to 2015.

Early life

Ken Bennett was born in Tucson, Arizona.^[1] His parents moved to Prescott shortly thereafter, where he was raised and later graduated from Prescott High School.^[1] Upon graduation, Bennett served a two-year mission in southern Japan, and remains an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[1]

In 1981, he graduated from Yavapai College under the President’s Scholarship.^[1][2] He then transferred to Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, graduating with Bachelor’s in Accounting.^[3][4]

Business career

Bennett began work for Bennett Oil Company, a fuel distribution business in northern Arizona, in 1984.^[1] Initially working in finance, Bennett was eventually hired as the Chief Executive Officer, where he remained until 2006.^[1][4][5]

In addition, he sits on the Board of Directors for Global Building Systems Inc.,^[6] a sustainable building systems company, as well as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Public service

Bennett was elected to the Prescott City Council in 1985 and served as Mayor Pro Tem in 1988.^[4][7] He was appointed to the Arizona State Board of Education in 1992, serving as president in 1996 and 1998.^[8]

In 1998 he was elected to the Arizona State Senate, serving four two-year terms, the second as Chairman of the Education Committee, and the third and fourth as President of the Senate (2003–2007).^[1]

When Jan Brewer ascended from Arizona Secretary of State to Governor upon Janet Napolitano's resignation to become United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Bennett was selected as the new Secretary of State, being sworn in on January 26, 2009.^[4][9] Upon completing that term, Bennett won election to a full term as Secretary of State in the November 2010 with 59% of the vote.^[10]

Governor's race

Bennett officially announced his intention to run for Governor on November 12, 2013.^[4][11]

Personal life

He met his wife Jeanne at ASU, and the two were married in 1982.^[1] They have three grown children – Ryan, Dana and Clifton – and two grandsons.^[1]

Child sex abuse case

In a 2006 prosecution, Bennet's son Clifton and another man admitted to sodomizing at least 18 boys in over 40 separate incidents with broom sticks.^[12] The plea deal became controversial when Clifton, only 17 years old and a minor, plead guilty to one count of aggravated assault with no obligation to register as a sex offender. Clifton was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, said he "had questions about the handling of the case," but that his office had no authority to intervene.^[13] Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk defended the plea bargain and accused the news media of misrepresenting the issue.^[14]

References