He met his wife Jeanne at ASU, and the two were married in 1982. They have three grown children – Ryan, Dana and Clifton – and two grandsons.
Legal troubles involving son
In 2005, Clifton, along with two others, were arrested and accused of "brooming" 18 middle-school aged boys in the buttocks area while they were clothed. Witness reports on the "brooming" incidents ranged from the use of brooms to touch the boys' rectal areas, to holding one boy down while shoving a broomstick against his buttocks. As part of a plea deal that Clifton accepted in 2006, he was sentenced to spend 30 days in jail, in addition to probation and community service. Despite claims by the parents of some of the victims that the incidents constituted sexual abuse, prosecutors argued instead that the crimes were not sexually motivated, which a trial judge agreed. Parents of some of the victims have criticized the outcome, decrying what they perceive as a lenient sentence and suggesting that a plea deal was done because of Bennett's political status as President of the State Senate. Both Bennett and the prosecutor have denied allegations of political pressure in the case, with Bennett going as far as accusing critics of knowingly making false statements due to what he claims as a lack of evidence on him attempting to sway the case.
Business career
Bennett began work for Bennett Oil Company, a fuel distribution business in northern Arizona, in 1984. Initially working in finance, Bennett was eventually hired as the chief executive officer, where he remained until 2006. In addition, he sits on the board of directors for Global Building Systems Inc., a sustainable building systems company, as well as Treasurer on the board of directors of Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
Public service
Bennett was elected to the Prescott City Council in 1985 and served as Mayor Pro Tem in 1988. He served on the City Council until 1989. He was appointed to the Arizona State Board of education in 1992, serving as president in 1996 and 1998. In 1998, he was elected to the Arizona State Senate, serving four two-year terms, the second as Chairman of the Education Committee, and the third and fourth as President of the Senate. When Jan Brewer ascended from Arizona Secretary of State to Governor upon Janet Napolitano's resignation to become United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Bennett was selected as the new Secretary of State, being sworn in on January 26, 2009. Upon completing that term, Bennett won election to a full term as Secretary of State in the November 2010 with 59% of the vote.
Later politics
Bennett officially announced his intention to run for Governor on November 12, 2013. Bennett came in fourth in the six-way republican primary, gaining 11.45 percent of the vote and losing to Doug Ducey. In 2015, Bennett announced his intention to run for Congress in Arizona's 1st Congressional district. He was endorsed by the Arizona Republic. On August 30, 2016, he lost the Republican primary to Sheriff Paul Babeu.
