John Benson (Vermont politician)

John Benson
Member of the Vermont Senate
from the Orange County district
Assumed office
January 2, 2026
Preceded byLarry Hart
Personal details
PartyRepublican

John Benson is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party from Brookfield, Vermont.

Early life and education

Benson graduated from Vermont Technical College (now VTSU) in 1973.[1] He became a licensed engineer in Vermont in 1993.[1] He is married and has two children.[1]

Career

Benson is a career civil engineer, working as managing partner at the engineering firm DuBois & King.[2] He was named Vermont's Engineer of the Year in 2018.[1] He managed the Bennington Bypass project. He is a past-president of the Vermont Society of Engineers, and served on its board for over ten years.[1]

Benson serves as chair of the Brookfield Selectboard and retired from firefighting in 2015 after 35 years of being a volunteer firefighter, 28 years of that as fire chief.[3][4][5][6]

State senator

Benson represents the Orange County district in the Vermont Senate. He was appointed by Governor Phil Scott on January 2nd to replace Larry Hart who resigned in 2025.[5][7] He serves on the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Institutions.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Brookfield's Benson Named Vermont Engineer of the Year". The White River Valley Herald. February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  2. ^ Venturo, Sophia (January 2, 2026). "Gov. Phil Scott announces legislative appointments ahead of 2026 session". WPTZ. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  3. ^ "Sayin Thank You". The White River Valley Herald. March 12, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  4. ^ Rochat, Laura (February 5, 2015). "Benson Steps Down, after 28 Years Of Leading Brookfield Fire Dept". The White River Valley Herald. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Weinstein, Ethan (January 2, 2026). "Gov. Scott appoints two new Vermont lawmakers". Valley News. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  6. ^ "Selectboard – Brookfield, Vermont". Brookfield, Vermont – The Official Website for the Town of Brookfield, Vermont. December 8, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  7. ^ "Gov. Scott appoints GOP lawmakers to vacated House and Senate seats". MSN. January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  8. ^ "Senator John Benson". Vermont Legislature. Retrieved January 8, 2026.