C. Ben Ross

This article is about the Governor of Idaho. For the rugby league player, see Ben Ross.

C. Ben Ross
15th Governor of Idaho
In office January 5, 1931 – January 4, 1937
Lieutenant	G. P. Mix (1931) George E. Hill (1933) G. P. Mix (1935)
Preceded by	H. C. Baldridge
Succeeded by	Barzilla W. Clark
Personal details
Born	December 27, 1876(1876-12-27) Parma, Idaho Territory
Died	March 31, 1946(1946-03-31) (aged 69) Boise, Idaho
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Edna May Reavis
Residence	Pocatello
Profession	Rancher
Religion	Congregationalist

Charles Benjamin Ross (December 27, 1876 in Parma, Idaho Territory – March 31, 1946 in Boise, Idaho) was the first native-born Governor of Idaho and an important Idaho political figure throughout the 1930s. Ross served as governor from 1931 until 1937.

Ross began his political career in Canyon County, serving as county commissioner from 1915 to 1921. He moved to Bannock County and served as mayor of Pocatello from 1922 to 1930.

Ross won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1928. Although he nearly tripled the Democratic vote total of his predecessor, Asher B. Wilson, thanks to the recent demise of the Idaho Progressive Party, he was defeated by the Republican incumbent H. C. Baldridge.

Ross won the nomination again in 1930, winning the open seat against Republican John McMurray. He was reelected in 1932 and 1934, becoming the first person to win election as Governor of Idaho three times.

During his tenure as governor Ross was viewed as the chief proponent of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies in Idaho. Even so, his own beliefs more closely mirrored the agrarian populism of earlier Democrats such as William Jennings Bryan.^[1]

Ross ran for United States Senate in 1936 but was defeated by longtime Republican incumbent William E. Borah.

The first sales tax in Idaho was enacted in 1935 with Ross' support. A famous line used against Ross by sales tax opponents was "A Penny for Benny." Opponents also used the following poem against him: "Benny got our penny/Benny got our goat/We'll get our Benny/When we go to vote." The sales tax was repealed by a statewide referendum in 1936.

In 1938 Ross ran for governor a fifth time, defeating incumbent Barzilla W. Clark in the Democratic primary but losing to state Republican Party chairman C. A. Bottolfsen in the general election.

After losing the 1938 gubernatorial election, "Cowboy Ben" retired from public life. He is referred to as "Founding Father" of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and was looked to as a champion of the Idaho Democratic Party.

Ross is buried in Parma.

References

1. ^ Book of the Week Club: "C. Ben Ross and the New Deal in Idaho"

External links

Biography portal

• C. Ben Ross at Find a Grave

Political offices
Preceded by H. C. Baldridge	Governor of Idaho January 5, 1931 – January 4, 1937	Succeeded by Barzilla W. Clark

Persondata
Name	Ross, C. Ben
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 27, 1876
Place of birth	Parma, Idaho Territory
Date of death	March 31, 1946
Place of death	Boise, Idaho