Teresa Benitez-Thompson

Teresa Francisca Benitez-Thompson (born July 25, 1978) is an American politician, the Majority Floor Leader and a Democratic member of the Nevada Assembly, first elected February 7, 2011 to represent District 27. She was crowned Miss Nevada 2002 and placed third runner-up at the Miss America 2003 pageant.

On December 4, 2013, Benitez-Thompson was endorsed by Harry Reid and Richard Bryan for her re-election campaign in 2014.

Benitez-Thompson earned her B.A. from the University of Nevada, Reno and her master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan.

• 2012 Benitez-Thompson was unopposed for the June 12, 2012 Democratic Primary and won the November 6, 2012 General election with 14,160 votes (57.76%) against Republican nominee Tom Taber, who had previously run for the Assembly in 1990.
• 2010 When Democratic Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie ran for Nevada Senate and left the House District 27 seat open, Benitez-Thompson won the June 8, 2010 Democratic Primary with 1,451 votes (55.92%), and won the November 2, 2010 General election with 6,951 votes (63.57%) against Republican nominee Gabe Jurado.

Benitez-Thompson is married to KOLO-TV chief meteorologist, former KRNV-DT chief meteorologist and former KTVN meteorologist Jeff Thompson and has 4 children.