She received just over 40 percent in the general election that year against Republican incumbent Don Young. She's now running against Ethan Berkowitz in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary.
Benson's son lost his legs in Iraq, and she's said her time spent watching her son's recovery and talking with other injured vets has helped shape many of her ideas. Below she talks about the war, development, and why she's better for the job than Berkowitz.
Q. What made you decide to run for Congress?
A. Well, I want to finish the job I started in 2006, which is to -- one -- help Don Young retire, but two, my initial motivation was the care of our veterans.
Q. Why should you get the Democratic nomination instead of Ethan Berkowitz?
A. Oh, that's easy. For one, because I think I have much greater crossover appeal. I know the regions pretty well. I listen to people across the state. And I guess, growing up here, having gone to boarding school here, all that kind of thing has kept me in contact with people and issues in every area (of the state). I think that's pretty important for somebody who intends to win the general election.
Q. Berkowitz said, based on the debates, "the depth of my knowledge on the issues is greater than hers -- particularly on the energy issues." How do you respond to that?
A. Well, I think he's got his little business that he got to start about energy. But energy isn't the only thing we face and it's not like I'm naive about our energy concerns. ... When we're talking about debates, I brought up global issues that neither he or anyone else brought up. And we cannot ignore our place in the global economy. In addition, I'm the only one who talks about the effects the war has on our economy as well as the toll that it's taken on our communities and continues to take.
Q. What do you think is the most pressing difference between you and Berkowitz have on the issues?
A. Well one, I'm very upfront about talking about the war and the costs of the war. He never brings it up, at least not that I've heard yet. That's a big difference. I see that affecting us on every level. I'm connected strongly to our veterans. ... I think another big area where we differ is I'm very pro-civil liberties. I talk about civil liberties on a number of levels and a number of ways that I don't recall him ever bringing up. And civil liberties is a big issue in my campaign.
Q. This would be your first time in public office if you are elected. What in your background has prepared you to be Alaska's representative in the U.S. House?
A. Well, one, I think you have to be tough enough for the job. God knows I've proven that by working in a man's world, whether it's been on a fishing boat and primarily driving trucks. ... I think you also have to have enough education and the ability to read and analyze law. Having worked on a lot of research, even for the Justice Berger Commission, for Alaska Federation of Natives doing research, to spending three years with Alaska legal services in public entitlement law. I know enough about analyzing law, writing briefs, etc.
Q. What issue do you personally feel the most passionate about in this campaign?
A. God, there's so many of them ... veteran care and health care are intertwined in many ways. One certainly affects the other. So health care is a very big one. And our civil liberties, I'm really, really concerned about where we are headed. If we ever had a time where we needed real, true, fair minded representation, now is the time.
Q. You brought up veterans and health care. What do you think should be done?
A. Well, there are several issues that veterans bring up. Access to health care is probably the biggest. The lags in the VA system. We have so many that are underserved in this state, as well as in this country. ... Even if they are able to get health care, then what happens if they have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or mild traumatic brain injury as they love to call it, the mild TBI, that doesn't show up for several months or a couple years and then they are out of the system. There's just so many things that are not being taken into consideration and I think you absolutely have to have somebody who's willing to understand that.
Q. Don Young has said "Anybody running for this job, ask them what they can do better than Don Young. In fact, ask them, really, what hasn't he done?" What's your response to that?
A. Well, Don Young hasn't looked after our veterans ... he did not stand up for veterans regarding outreach, he's only voted particularly on the more popular positions where it would have passed with or without Don's vote because it was so unanimous ... I've got volumes of stuff."
Q. Are you in favor of opening ANWR?
A. It's a sad discussion because we've had it for 30 years. And now the report from -- I don't know if Ted Stevens initiated it or how it was initiated -- but (that) shows how little return there is involved in terms of its impact just on gas prices. We have to re-evaluate it. I'd like to see everything re-evaluated from what we're capable of doing technologically -- now we have to consider the global-warming impacts -- and what does that mean either to the cost or to the transport possibilities involved. And how much are we, or are we willing to be able to process up here.
I'm much more concerned right now about a gas line, and one that benefits Alaskans. My bottom line is, with the wildlife refuge or anything else, any development we do, my lens is how is it going to most benefit Alaskans. I'm tired of seeing how clearly it will benefit a large Outside company but I want much clearer answers.
Q. So before you make up your mind on ANWR you need more answers?
A. I'd like to see a proposal that answers all the questions. ... The more I learn and have learned about mining, about extraction, whether it's oil or gas, it raises a lot of issues, some of which because of new technologies we are able to rethink how we approach this. But you have to answer the concerns of the people. Why not do that? And then we can move on.
Q. What Iraq strategy would you push if elected to Congress?
A. We have the political, Middle Eastern issues that have to be addressed, and we have to make more efforts on that, and involve other nations. There's also the financial and human costs that we need to re-evaluate and be clear about our decision on what we're willing to pay for this. Because we pay a very high price ...
The biggest thing I see, have honest discussion instead of this fear approach on the war. Don't come in like Don did in Bethel to the VFW or whoever all he met with and say, "We have to maintain this otherwise there's going to be 2 million dead."
Q. So do you think there should be an immediate withdrawal? A gradual withdrawal?
A. There has to be a sensible withdrawal, an expedient withdrawal ... We do a disservice to our own when we try to make this just a black/white, for the war/against the war, extract them right now, pull them out/don't.
Redeploy them, make it make sense. We have to have a really reasonable, sensible discussion and the discussion has to be with the intent of getting our troops out. Period.
Find Sean Cockerham online at adn.com/contact/scockerham or call him at 257-4344.
US House Q&A lineup
WEDNESDAY: Gabrielle LeDoux, Republican
THURSDAY: Sean Parnell, Republican
FRIDAY: Don Young, Republican
TODAY: Diane Benson, Democrat
TUESDAY: Ethan Berkowitz, Democrat
Go to adn.com/election to read any interviews you missed.
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