Kenneth J. Benton Responds to the Valley Morning Star's Question

The Valley Morning Star invited candidates in the May 12 Harlingen city elections to respond to a question on video.

The candidates were asked: What is the biggest issue facing Harlingen, and what would you do to address it?

A maximum of two minutes was made available to each candidate. The candidates had the choice, after answering the question, to deviate and talk about anything. The videos are uncut and unedited.

Kenneth J. Benton, 54, is a candidate for Harlingen mayor.

Benton grew up in Harlingen. After graduating from Harlingen High School, Benton attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He also studied real estate at the School of Real Estate at the University of Houston.

Benton said one of the first things he would do if elected is clean up the downtown area.

“I (studied business and real estate) because I wanted to help low-income communities, especially minority communities,” he said.