Summary
Current Position: US Representative since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2002 – 2017
Ben Cline represents Virginia’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. He previously served as a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 24th District from 2002-2018. In the Virginia House, Cline chaired the Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety.
Prior to his election to the House of Representatives in 2018, Ben was an attorney in private practice. From 2007 until 2013, he served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg.
Ben also worked for Congressman Bob Goodlatte, beginning as a member of his legislative staff in 1994 and ultimately serving as the Congressman’s Chief of Staff.
Source: Government page
About
Source: Campaign page
Ben Cline’s values were shaped growing up right here in the Shenandoah Valley. He graduated from Lexington High School in 1990, and earned a law degree from the University of Richmond. Introduced by mutual friends, Ben and his wife Elizabeth met in 2004, and are raising their daughters in Rockbridge County.
Ben’s made a name for himself taking on the status quo in Richmond – never failing to champion common sense, conservative legislation that challenged the liberal orthodoxy of several sitting Democratic Governors. As co-chair of the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) chapter in Virginia, Ben was at the forefront of protecting our economic freedom. From helping kill Tim Kaine’s tax hike to crafting budget cuts to our bloated state bureaucracy, Ben was at the center of the resistance against the push for bigger and unaccountable government. This year, Ben Cline’s multi-year effort to end unrecorded voice votes in the General Assembly finally became reality. Now, no bill can be killed without the public knowing which elected officials voted to do so, a major victory for transparency in Richmond.
He also stood up to his own party leadership in the House of Delegates when they pushed to join Democrats in raising taxes. Ben wouldn’t have it. He’s forged a path in the General Assembly as a leading conservative fighter serving as House Chairman of the Conservative Caucus, holding those in power accountable and fighting to clean up bureaucratic waste and the political cronyism that grips our system. Ben successfully pushed the first significant tax relief since the car tax passage, while also sponsoring legislation that would ban sanctuary cities and a “Constitutional Carry” bill to allow law abiding individuals to carry concealed weapons. His leadership on protecting the 2nd Amendment is highlighted by his recent appointment as Chairman of the Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee in the House of Delegates. He is the last line of defense in the General Assembly against the Democrat’s aggressive gun control agenda.
Ben’s efforts have earned him the American Conservative Union’s (ACU) “Conservative Excellence Award” as well as top ratings from leading conservative groups like the VA Tea Party Patriot Federation, the Virginia Family Foundation and an A+ rating from the NRA.
While in the House of Delegates, Ben is also an attorney in private practice and has previously served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney. Prior to that, Ben owned his own small business providing marketing assistance to rural internet and high-tech companies. Upon graduating from college, he served as an aide to Congressman Bob Goodlatte, where he eventually became Chief of Staff.
Ben and his family attend St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Rockbridge County. He is a member of the Kerrs Creek Ruritan Club and the Lexington Lion’s Club.
Experience
Education
- JD
University of Richmond
Personal
Membership & Affiliation
- St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
- Kerrs Creek Ruritan Club
- Lexington Lion’s Club
Contact
Email:
Offices
Washington Office
1009 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5431
Fax: (202) 225-9681
Harrisonburg Office
70 N Mason St, Suite 110
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Phone: (540) 432-2391
Fax: (540) 432-6593
Lynchburg Office
916 Main St, Suite 300
Lynchburg, VA 24504
Phone: (434) 845-8306
Fax: (434) 845-8245
Roanoke Office
10 Franklin Rd SE, Suite 510
Roanoke, VA 24011
Phone: (540) 857-2672
Fax: 540) 857-2675
Staunton Office
117 S Lewis St, Suite 215
Staunton, VA 24401
Phone: (540) 885-3861
Fax: (540) 885-3930
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Twitter, Facebook, Government Page, Wikipedia
Politics
Source: Wikipedia
Benjamin Lee Cline (born February 29, 1972) is an American politician of theRepublican Party. He is currently serving his eighth term in the Virginia House of Delegates. He was first elected in a 2002 special election, replacing incumbent Delegate Vance Wilkins who resigned the seat. He currently represents the 24th district, consisting of Bath and Rockbridge Counties, the cities of Buena Vista and Lexington, and parts of Amherst and Augusta Counties. In November 2017, Cline announced his candidacy for Congress from Virginia’s 6th congressional district in the 2018 election. On May 19, 2018, Cline won the Republican Party nomination for that election on the first ballot at the district convention.
Cline started his political career in 2002 by running for the House of Delegates seat left vacant by Vance Wilkins, who resigned due tosexual harassment allegations. Cline won in 2002 with 57.43% of the vote despite Democratic opposition from current LexingtonMayor Mimi Elrod. In 2003, Cline won again with 69.17% of the vote against Independent E.W. Sheffield. In 2005, he won with 62.44% of the vote against Democrat David Cox. Cline ran unopposed in 2007. In 2009, Cline ran against Amherst native and Democrat Jeff Price and won with 70.86% of the vote, taking the Lexington City precinct for the first time since his election in 2002 and also taking every precinct in the 24th House of Delegates district. Cline ran unopposed in both 2011 and 2013. In 2015, Cline won 70.8% of the vote against Democrat Ellen Arthur. In 2017, he won re-election with 72% of the vote against independent candidate John Winfrey.
In November 2017, Cline announced he would run for Congress in Virginia’s 6th congressional district in 2018 for the seat being vacated by the retiring incumbent Bob Goodlatte.
Recent Elections
2018 US Representative
Ben Cline (R) | 167,957 | 59.69% |
Jennifer Lynn Lewis (D) | 113,133 | 40.21% |
Write In (Write-in) | 287 | 0.10% |
TOTAL | 281,377 |
2017 State Delegate
Ben Cline (R) | 17,351 | 71.9% |
John Crawford Winfrey () | 6,683 | 27.7% |
Write In (Write-in) | 101 | 0.4% |
TOTAL | 24,135 |
2015 State Delegate
Ben Cline (R) | 13,488 | 70.8% |
Ellen Mary Arthur (D) | 5,517 | 29.0% |
Write In (Write-in) | 36 | 0.2% |
TOTAL | 19,041 |
Source: Department of Elections
Finances
CLINE, BEN L has run in 9 races for public office, winning 9 of them. The candidate has raised a total of$1,985,942.
Source: Follow the Money
Committees
Committees
House Committee on Education & Labor
House Judiciary Committee
Subcommittees
Subcommittee on Workforce Protection
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment
Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
Issues
Governance
February 5, 2019 Press Release
February 4, 2019 Editorial
January 31, 2019 Press Release
January 29, 2019 Press Release
January 17, 2019 Press Release
January 8, 2019 Press Release
January 7, 2019 Video
Economy
July 25, 2019 Press Release
February 4, 2019 Editorial
Veterans
July 30, 2019 Press Release
July 23, 2019 Press Release
July 5, 2019 Press Release
June 21, 2019 Blog Post
March 11, 2019 Press Release
February 1, 2019 Press Release