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Craig R. Benson (born October 8, 1954
National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American Politics of the United States, political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 U.S. state, states, Territories of the United States, territories ...
. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.
) is an American politician and entrepreneur who served as the 79th
governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along w ...
from 2003 to 2005. Benson first came to public attention when he founded Cabletron Systems, later known as Enterasys Networks, which became one of the largest employers in
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. Enterasys Networks was acquired by
Extreme Networks Extreme Networks, Inc. is an American networking company based in Morrisville, North Carolina. Extreme Networks designs, develops, and manufactures wired and wireless network infrastructure equipment and develops the software for network managem ...
in November 2016


Early life and business career

Benson attended Chatham High School in
Chatham, New Jersey "The Chathams" (, ) is a term used in reference to shared services for two neighboring municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, United States – Chatham Borough, New Jersey, Chatham and Chatham Township, New Jersey, Chatham Township. The two a ...
. After receiving a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in finance from
Babson College Babson College is a Private university, private business school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States specializing in entrepreneurship education. Founded in 1919 by Roger Babson, the college was established as the Babson Institute in his We ...
in 1977, Benson attended
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
, graduating with an
MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...
in 1979. In 1983, Benson and partner Robert Levine started Cabletron Systems in Levine's garage.Fisher, Lawrence M. (August 7, 1997).
Cabletron's Chief Executive Plans to Step Down Sept. 1
. ''
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''. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.
The company moved to
Rochester, New Hampshire Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 32,492 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, 6th most populous city in New Hampshire. In ad ...
in 1985 and went public in 1989, with what was then the largest
IPO An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...
in
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history. In 1991, Benson was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by '' Inc. Magazine''. The company grew to have over $1.8 billion in annual revenue, but over time Cabletron began to face heavy competition in the industry.A Cabletron Systems Founder Steps Down
. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', June 5, 1999. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.
Benson resigned in 1999, and Cabletron was dissolved into four separate companies ( Enterasys Networks, Aprisma Management Technologies, Riverstone Networks, and Global Network Technology Services) in January 2000.Kelly, Matt (March 1, 2002).
After splitting up Cabletron, Piyush Patel mulls his future
". Indusbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.
The company's fragmentation brought layoffs,Hohman, Robin (December 22, 1997).
Cabletron cuts rile customers
. ''
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'', p. 6. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.
declines in stock price, and shareholder lawsuits.


Governor of New Hampshire

Benson began running for governor of New Hampshire in 2001, promising to use technology and greater efficiency to save money in state government. Political signs appeared across New Hampshire proclaiming "This is Benson Country." He was elected governor on November 5, 2002, in an open race to succeed the retiring governor,
Jeanne Shaheen Cynthia Jeanne Shaheen ( ; née Bowers, born January 28, 1947) is an American politician and former educator serving since 2009 as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New Hampshire. A ...
. In the
primaries Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pri ...
, Benson spent more than $15 million—$11 million of it his own money—in an effort to defeat former
state Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Bruce Keough and former
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
Gordon Humphrey to win the Republican nomination, making Benson's victory one of the most expensive in American history. In the general election, Benson easily defeated Democratic
state Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Mark Fernald, by 90,386 votes. Benson successfully made Fernald's support for a statewide income tax the dominant issue in the race. Benson spent more than $9 million, again mostly his own money, in this race. As Governor, Benson pushed for state agencies to institute across-the-board budget reductions, and used a custom made, extra large "VETO" stamp to reject a state budget he thought was too large.Rogers, Josh (June 30, 2003).
Lawmakers, Benson Prepare For Override Vote
".
New Hampshire Public Radio New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) is the National Public Radio member network serving the state of New Hampshire. NHPR is based in Concord and operates eight transmitters and six translators covering nearly the whole state, as well as portions ...
. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.
Benson also signed into law a bill that required
parental notification Parental consent laws (also known as parental involvement laws) in some countries require that one or more parents consent to or be notified before their minor child can legally engage in certain activities. Parental consent may refer to: *A par ...
for minors seeking an abortion; this law was later challenged and upheld in the
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
in the case '' Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of New England'', but subsequently repealed by the New Hampshire legislature in 2007. Benson's administration came under criticism following the resignation of
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
Peter Heed, who had been accused of
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
. While an investigation cleared Heed of any wrongdoing, it revealed improper interference by Benson's security commissioner. Further criticism stems from the inappropriate awarding of a nearly $900,000 no-bid contract by his "volunteer" adviser (and former Cabletron human resource administrator) Linda Pepin, who was not licensed to broker such a deal. Benson also frequently used "volunteers" in his office to do gubernatorial work, but would not say who they were or what they did. These were not volunteers in the sense that they were unpaid staffers volunteering their time, rather Benson paid their salaries out of his own pocket, making them volunteers in the sense that they did not draw state salaries. This move was controversial, while proponents noted that Benson was generously allowing the state to save money, critics were concerned that it would limit scrutiny of the volunteer staff. Reporters discovered that one of these "volunteers" (and former Cabletron director of operations), Angela Blaisdell, was New Hampshire's official liaison with the federal government on
homeland security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
. In addition, Benson was accused of engaging in political payback when Dori Wiggin, supervisor of the Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Division in
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, was transferred to the department's Concord headquarters. Under Wiggin, the DES had fined Benson in 1998 and 2003 for excavating beach sand without a permit at his
Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...
oceanfront home. Benson was also criticized, by both supporters and critics, for a management style that was considered "autocratic".Schweitzer, Sarah (November 4, 2004).
Defeated after 1 term, N.H. governor fades out
. ''
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''. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.
In an interview with ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', Benson stated that one of his first acts after being elected was to purchase a large, high table at which to hold his meetings. Those in attendance were to stand during meetings, and any latecomers were locked out. "It's to remind people we're here to get in and do our business and get out," he explained. In the 2004 election, Benson lost to Democratic challenger John Lynch—only the second time in 78 years that an incumbent New Hampshire governor was denied a second term, in a very close race, Benson lost to Lynch by 14,318 votes.


Post-governorship

Since leaving the Governor's office in 2005, Benson has pursued a number of business interests. He is a Dunkin' Donuts franchisee with over 140 stores. He served as a Director of Sycamore Networks (2007 to 2013) and currently serves (since 2017) as a Director at Planet Fitness where he also served as interim CEO from Sept. 2023 to April 2024. In December 2020,
Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, doing business as Merrill, and previously branded Merrill Lynch, is an American investment management and wealth management division of Bank of America. Along with BofA Securities, the investm ...
was ordered by the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities to pay $24 million in restitution to Benson, and an additional $2 million fine to the State of New Hampshire. Benson complained to the Bureau of Securities in early 2019 after suffering losses while the stock market was gaining. In 2025, Governor
Kelly Ayotte Kelly Ann Ayotte ( ; born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2025 as the 83rd governor of New Hampshire. A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2011 to 2017 as a United States senator from New Hampsh ...
appointed Benson to co-chair the Commission on Government Efficiency or "COGE", a commission tasked with cutting spending by the New Hampshire government. COGE is modeled on the
Department of Government Efficiency The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an initiative by the second Trump administration within the federal government of the United States. Its stated objective is to modernize information technology, maximize productivity, and cut ...
, doing similar work at the federal level.


Personal life

Benson resides in
Rye, New Hampshire Rye is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,543 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is home to several state parks along the Atlant ...
with his wife Denise. They have two daughters. Benson serves as an adjunct lecturer at
Babson College Babson College is a Private university, private business school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States specializing in entrepreneurship education. Founded in 1919 by Roger Babson, the college was established as the Babson Institute in his We ...
, his alma mater. In 1995, he was inducted into the college's Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs.Faculty Profile: Craig R. Benson
Babson College. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.


Electoral history


References

* Steen, Jennifer (2006).
Self-financed candidates in congressional elections
'. University of Michigan Press. .


External links



* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Craig 1954 births Living people Republican Party governors of New Hampshire Babson College alumni Martin J. Whitman School of Management alumni 21st-century American businesspeople Politicians from New York City Babson College faculty People from Rye, New Hampshire Chatham High School (New Jersey) alumni People from Morris County, New Jersey