Christie Benet

Who was Christie Benet?

Christie Benet was a Democratic Party politician who briefly represented the state of South Carolina in the United States Senate in 1918.

Benet was born in Abbeville, South Carolina; he attended the common schools in his youth, and matriculated at the College of Charleston, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Virginia. Benet coached football at the University of South Carolina in 1903 and 1907. He studied the law, and upon his admission to the bar began practice in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1903. Solicitor of the fifth judicial circuit in 1908, Benet became Columbia's city attorney from 1910 to 1912. He was the secretary of the Democratic State committee three times; on July 6, 1918 he was appointed to the Senate to fill out the term of Benjamin R. Tillman, who died in office. He served unil November 5, when a successor to the position was elected; Benet himself was an unsuccessful candidate in the same election to fill the vacancy. During his brief time in the Senate, Benet was the chairman of the Committee on National Banks; upon his defeat, he resumed his practice.