Dan Benson grew up in Mercer County’s Hamilton Township and went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, where he studied physics and government, before returning to New Jersey and earning his Master’s in Public Policy from Rutgers’ Bloustein School. At 25, he was elected to the Hamilton Township Council in 2001, followed by his election to the Mercer County Board of Commissioners in 2008. Dan was elected to the NJ Assembly in 2011, and over twelve years as a legislator he was a prime sponsor on nearly 400 bills signed into law. In 2023 Dan was elected the first new Mercer County Executive in two decades, pledging to bring a new spirit of collaboration, innovation, and transparency to county government. Dan continues to live in Hamilton Township where he and his wife, Dr. Hande Benson, are raising their son Nicholas.