Michelle R. Benson (born September 11, 1968) is an American accountant, politician, and Republican member of the Minnesota Senate. She represents District 31, which includes portions of Anoka, Isanti and Sherburne counties in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. Benson is the Deputy Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate.
In 2010, Benson challenged incumbent Debbie Johnson for the Republican nomination. Benson won the nomination and subsequently won the election.[5] Benson was re-elected handily in 2012 and 2016.[6] She currently serves as chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee and is a deputy majority leader.[7]
In 2015, she co-sponsored legislation that would allow businesses to refuse to provide services for same-sex couples.[8]
In 2021, Michelle Benson called into question the ways in which the Minnesota government spent federal COVID-19 relief, dubbing the spending wasteful.[9]
On August 31, 2021, Benson announced she was running for Governor of Minnesota. In her announcement, Benson promised to fight back against “radical, leftist policies” regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and promised to deliver a "safer, better, and stronger" Minnesota.[10] She later suspended her campaign in April 2022.[11]