Sen. John Benoit was appointed today to fill the Riverside County Supervisor seat that represents the Coachella Valley.

The seat, generally considered to be the desert’s most powerful elected positions, was left vacant by the passing of longtime county Supervisor Roy Wilson. Before Wilson’s Aug. 26 death, he had endorsed Benoit to be his successor.

Benoit, a Bermuda Dunes Republican, was also backed by the county supervisors in a formal vote and many desert city council leaders.

“It’s very humbling to have the governor follow through with (Roy Wilson’s) wishes and the wishes of the board and many, many community leaders,” Benoit told The Desert Sun today.

“I’m very, very honored and excited about the possibility of being involved at a level where we can have a local impact. "

In his formal announcement, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Benoit "has a proven history of dedicated public service and is absolutely the best person to fill this important position."

"I have no doubt that John will continue to promote the interests of the people in Riverside County to the best of his ability in this new role," Schwarzenegger said in the statement.
A 31-year veteran of law enforcement, Benoit was first elected to the Assembly in 2002. Last year, he won a contentious Republican primary and secured his state Senate seat.

A special election will be held to fill the 37th Senate seat, a race that is likely to draw a wide field of contenders.

According to the Riverside County Registrar, taxpayers could be looking at two special elections: a special vacancy primary and, if no one secures the majority of the vote, a special vacancy general election. Initial estimates show the primary would cost local taxpayers between $1.1 and $1.3 million.

Benoit has already started campaigning for the 2010 race.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s Desert Sun.