Thomas Housch Benton (born May 20, 1950) is an American Republican politician who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from the 31st district from 2005 to 2023.
He defeated Chris Elrod in the Republican primary with 50.6% of the vote,[4] and was unopposed in the general election.
He has claimed that, contrary to historical consensus, slavery was not a cause of the war, the Confederacy's leaders were equal to the Founding Fathers, and that taking down Confederate monuments was "no better than what ISIS is doing.
[3] He also argued that criticism of the Confederate battle flag was an attempt to distract from the issue of "black-on-black crime.
He also said Lewis' accomplishments paled in comparison with those of Alexander H. Stephens, the vice president of the Confederacy most noted for a speech in which he proclaimed "the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery—subordination to the superior race—is his natural and normal condition."