Benson files for run at State House of Representatives

PALMER — A longtime Alaskan and descendant of Mat-Su Colonists has thrown his hat into the ring to run against state Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer.

Don Benson announced his candidacy Monday. He said he’s running on a simple platform.

“Jobs and energy,” he said.

Benson is vice chairman of the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority’s board of directors. He said he prefers the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act project, with a big line coming down from the North Slope and a smaller spur line running to Southcentral. Asked why he supports that project, Benson points to an ANGDA study showing it will be best for natural gas ratepayers.

“The reason I prefer that is it’s the cheapest rates for the people that live here,” he said.

According to the Alaska Public Offices Commission’s website, the only other candidate to file for that race is Gatto, a paramedic who was first elected to the seat in November 2001. Benson intends to run as a Republican, meaning he will face Gatto in the primary. So far, the Democratic side of the race is an open field, but the deadline to file to run doesn’t pass until June 1. The primary election is Aug. 24.

Benson said he was born and raised in Palmer. His grandparents were part of the original Matanuska Colony, the Depression-era project to bring farmers to the Valley. He is also president of the Mat-Su Chapter of the Pioneers of Alaska, an organization whose list of membership requirements is short — only people with 30 years of Alaska residency can join.

Benson is a project manager and construction superintendent with New Horizons Telecom, a company that, according to its website, was founded in 1978 and specializes in bringing telecommunications infrastructure to remote Alaska communities. The company’s headquarters are in Palmer. Before that he was a commercial bush pilot for 20 years, a job he took after spending two years in Washington state attending college.

Asked what should convince voters to choose him over Gatto, Benson sidestepped.

“I’m not actually running against Mr. Gatto, I’m running for the seat,” he said.

Though he did say one thing on the topic: “I believe in term limits.”

Natural gas seemed to be what he wanted to talk about most. Benson said he thinks the gasline won’t end up costing any tax money, since it will be turned over to a private developer that will pay for it with user fees.

“They build it and then they charge you for using it for the next 20 or 30 years,” Benson said.

He said he’d prefer a minimal government role. But most of all, he’d prefer to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

“It’s time to get the shovels in the dirt,” he said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.