After receiving a bachelor's degree in finance from Babson College in 1977, Benson attended Syracuse University, graduating with an MBA in 1979.

[4] The company grew to have over $1.8 billion in annual revenue, but over time Cabletron began to face heavy competition in the industry.

[8] Benson began running for governor of New Hampshire in 2001, promising to use technology and greater efficiency to save money in state government.

Senator Gordon Humphrey to win the Republican nomination, making Benson's victory one of the most expensive in American history.

[16] 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,[17] who was not licensed to broker such a deal.

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.

[22] In an interview with The New York Times, Benson stated that one of his first acts after being elected was to purchase a large, high table at which to hold his meetings.

[23] 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, with Lynch securing just 51% of the vote.