Katie Benton

Background

Benton is an instructional designer at the University of North Dakota and a former K–12 teacher; she said she taught for more than 10 years. She is the Democratic-NPL candidate for State Senate District 17 in the November 3, 2026 election.

Sources: Grand Forks Herald, The Ballot Brief

What the candidate has said

Statements are attributed to the linked sources.

• Public education

  She advocates adequately funding public education and opposes using public funds to subsidize private-school tuition.

  Grand Forks Herald

• Data centers

  She says data-center developers should provide cleanup funding and commit to paying for new substations and added capacity so those costs do not fall on utility customers.

  Grand Forks Herald

• Career education

  She supports expanding career and technical education opportunities, including potential partnerships and internships connected to Grand Forks’ Career Impact Academy.

  Grand Forks Herald