John Benoit, longtime Republican lawmaker, dies at 64

Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit, a Republican who served in both houses of the state Legislature, died Monday evening at his home in Bermuda Dunes, his office said in statement. He was 64.

Benoit had continued to work in a reduced capacity as he fought advanced pancreatic cancer since being diagnosed in November, the statement said. Benoit was a supervisor since 2009, serving as the board chair in 2013 and this year. The Press-Enterprise has a full obituary. Before moving to the board, he served seven years in the Legislature, in both the Senate and Assembly.

The vacancy created by his death will be filled by Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat who last year filled the board seat to replace current state Sen. Jeff Stone.

Benoit is survived by his wife, Sheryl; son, Ben; daughter, Sarah; brothers Mark and Paul; and grandchildren Abrielle and Nick.

This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 10:12 AM.