Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links
  • LRL Home
    • >
  • Legislators Past & Present
    • >
  • Member Record
    • Legislators Past & Present Home

    Benson, Joanne E.

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    Senate 1991-92 (District 17); Senate 1993-94 (District 16)

    Party when first elected:  Independent Republican

    Counties Served:  Benton, Sherburne, Stearns

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 1/4/1943
    Birth Place: Le Sueur, Minnesota
    Birth County: Le Sueur
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Female
    Religion:
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Cloud
    Occupation (when first elected): Associate Professor

    EDUCATION

    St. Cloud State University; B.S.; Elementary Education

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    State Lieutenant Governor: Minnesota; 01/03/1995 to 01/04/1999 [Elected]

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Robert R. Benson
    Children: Two children
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Special Legislative Concerns: education, environment, health and human services, commerce, local government.

    She ran for the Independent Republican endorsement for Minnesota Governor in 1998.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 1456

    SESSIONS SERVED

    78th Legislative Session (1993-1994)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 16
    Elected: 11/3/1992
    Residence: Saint Cloud
    Term of Office: 1/5/1993 to 1/2/1995 (unfinished term)
    Counties Represented: Benton, Stearns
    Occupation: Associate Professor (on legislative leave)
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Education
    • Education: Higher Education Division
    • Environment and Natural Resources
    • Environment and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
    • Environment and Natural Resources: Public Lands and Waters
    • Family Services
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    • Taxes and Tax Laws: Property Tax
    Reason for unfinished term: Elected to other office
    Session Notes: Her term end date has not been verified. She was elected Lieutenant Governor in November 1994.

    77th Legislative Session (1991-1992)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 17
    Elected: 11/6/1990
    Residence: Saint Cloud
    Term of Office: 1/8/1991 to 1/4/1993
    Counties Represented: Benton, Sherburne, Stearns
    Occupation: Associate Professor
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Education
    • Education: Early Childhood/Special Populations
    • Education: Higher Education
    • Energy and Public Utilities
    • Environment and Natural Resources
    • Environment and Natural Resources: Environmental Protection
    • Environment and Natural Resources: Public Lands and Waters
    • Transportation
    • Transportation: Public Transportation
    • Transportation: Transportation Safety
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Senate Photos

    The photos in this collection were scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library.

    Senator Dennis Frederickson, Senator Joanne Benson, and Senator Tom Neuville discuss a bill on the Senate floor, St. Paul, Minnesota.
    Articles & Books About
    Joanne E. Benson. Biographical Information from the Minnesota Historical Society's Governors of Minnesota.



    The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.

    Legislators Past & Present Home