Ben Cline

Benjamin Lee Cline

Republican Party

Candidate, U.S. House Virginia District 6

U.S. House Virginia District 6

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

5

Predecessor

Bob Goodlatte

Prior offices

Virginia House of Delegates District 24

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Next election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Lexington High School

Bachelor's

Bates College

Law

University of Richmond, 2007

Personal

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Benjamin Lee Cline (Republican Party) (also known as Ben) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Virginia's 6th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2019. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.

Cline (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Virginia's 6th Congressional District. The Republican primary for this office on June 18, 2024, was canceled.

For his first term in the House, Cline was assigned to subcommittees of the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Judiciary Committee.

Cline was a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 24, from 2002 through 2018.

Biography

Cline earned his B.A. from Bates College in 1994 and his J.D. from the University of Richmond in 2007.

Cline's professional experience includes working as assistant commonwealth's attorney for the county of Rockingham. He previously served as president for New Dominion Solutions LLC from 2002 to 2007 and in the office of Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R) from 1994 to 2002.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2023-2024

Cline was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• House Committee on Budget
• Committee on Judiciary
• Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust
• Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
• Responsiveness and Accountability to Oversight, Chairman

2021-2022

Cline was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• House Committee on Appropriations
• Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
• House Committee on Budget

2019-2020

Cline was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Education and the Workforce
• Committee on Judiciary

2016 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2016 legislative session, Cline served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2016
• Commerce and Labor
• Courts of Justice
• Finance, Vice-Chair
• Militia, Police and Public Safety

2015 legislative session

In the 2015 legislative session, Cline served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2015
• Commerce and Labor
• Courts of Justice
• Finance
• Militia, Police and Public Safety

2014 legislative session

In the 2014 legislative session, Cline served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2014
• Commerce and Labor
• Courts of Justice
• Finance
• Militia, Police and Public Safety

2012-2013

In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Cline served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2012
• Commerce and Labor
• Courts of Justice
• Finance
• Militia, Police and Public Safety

2010-2011

In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Cline served on the following committees:

Virginia committee assignments, 2010
• Courts of Justice
• Commerce and Labor
• Finance
• Militia, Police and Public Safety

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Nay	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (310-118)
Yea	To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.   H.R. 185 (To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to nullify a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order restricting the entry of foreign citizens to the United States unless the individual was vaccinated against the coronavirus or attested they would take public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (227-201)
Yea	Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023   The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to raise the federal debt limit before a June 5, 2023, deadline. The bill also sought to repeal certain green energy tax credits, increase domestic natural gas and oil production, expand work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and nullify President Joe Biden's (D) proposed student loan debt cancellation program. This bill was not taken up in the Senate, and the debt limit was instead raised through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-215)
Yea	Denouncing the horrors of socialism.   H.Con.Res. 9 (Denouncing the horrors of socialism.) was a resolution approved by the House of Representatives denouncing socialism and opposing the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (328-86)
Yea	Lower Energy Costs Act   The Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to increase domestic energy production and exports by increasing the production of oil, natural gas, and coal, reducing permitting restrictions for pipelines, refineries, and other energy projects, and increase the production of minerals used in electronics, among other energy production-related policies. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (225-204)
Yea	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (219-200)
Yea	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (229-197)
Nay	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (314-117)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)	Speaker of the House election (January 2023) - 15th vote   In January 2023, the House of Representatives held its regular election for Speaker of the House at the start of the 118th Congress. Voting began on January 3, and ended on January 7. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House in a 216-212 vote during the 15th round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (216-212)
Nay	Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.   H.Res. 757 (Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position as Speaker of the House. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (216-210)
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.)	Speaker of the House election (October 2023) - 4th vote   In October 2023, following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) removal as Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives held another election for the position. Voting began on October 17 and ended on October 25. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected Speaker of the House in a 220-209 vote in the fourth round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (220-209)
Yea	Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.   H.Res. 918 (Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that formally authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden (D). The inquiry focused on allegations that Biden used his influence as vice president from 2009 to 2017 to improperly profit from his son Hunter Biden's business dealings. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (221-212)
Nay	Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.   H.Res. 878 (Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office following a House Ethics Committee investigation that determined there was substantial evidence that Santos violated the law during his 2020 and 2022 campaigns. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (311-114)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 Vote Bill and description Status Nay Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (228-206) Nay American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-210) Nay Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-207) Nay Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act   The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (H.R. 3617) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana, establish studies of legal marijuana sales, tax marijuana imports and production, and establish a process to expunge and review federal marijuana offenses. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (220-204) Nay For the People Act of 2021   The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) was a federal election law and government ethics bill approved by the House of Representatives. The Congressional Research Service said the bill would "expand voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It [would also limit] removing voters from voter rolls. ... Further, the bill [would address] campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices." The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-210) Nay Assault Weapons Ban of 2022   The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that sought to criminalize the knowing import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding devices (LCAFD). The bill made exemptions for grandfathered SAWs and LCAFDs. It required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (217-213) Nay National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (363-70) Nay James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 2/3 majority in the House to suspend rules and pass the bill as amended. Passed (350-80) Nay American Dream and Promise Act of 2021   The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) was an immigration bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed a path to permanent residence status for unauthorized immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure, among other immigration-related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (228-197) Yea Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (342-88) Nay Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (243-187) Nay Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (218-211) Nay SAFE Banking Act of 2021   The SAFE Banking Act of 2021 (H.R. 1996) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting federal regulators from penalizing banks for providing services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses and defining proceeds from such transactions as not being proceeds from unlawful activity, among other related proposals. Since the House moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill in an expedited process, it required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Passed (321-101) Nay Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (260-171) Nay Equality Act   The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system, among other related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (224-206) Nay Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (258-169) Nay Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (230-201) Nay Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act   The Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 7688) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit individuals from selling consumer fuels at excessive prices during a proclaimed energy emergency. It would have also required the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the price of gasoline was being manipulated. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (217-207) Nay Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021   The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit the transfer of firearms between private parties unless a licensed firearm vendor conducted a background check on the recipient. The bill also provided for certain exceptions to this requirement. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Passed (227-203) Not Voting Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (220-203) Nay Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (234-193) Nay Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. The article of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (232-197) Nay Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more. Passed (225-201) Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

Issues

Law enforcement drones

On January 9, 2013, Cline introduced HB 2012 in the Virginia House of Delegates, a bill which limited state and local law enforcement agencies' use of unmanned drone aircraft. Cline's bill banned all use of drones by state and local agencies except for Amber Alerts and search and rescue operations until May 1, 2015. HB 2012 became the first bill of its kind nationwide to be passed when the General Assembly approved it 83-16 on February 5, 2013. The Senate bill, Senator Donald McEachin's SB 1331, also passed on February 5. Governor Bob McDonnell (R) proposed amendments to the moratorium that would create more openings for law enforcement use and industry research and production. The bill passed with McDonnell's amendments.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2024

See also: Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2024

Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 18 Republican primary)

Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 18 Democratic primary)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 6

Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline and Ken Mitchell are running in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Benjamin Lee Cline (R)
		Ken Mitchell (D)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Ken Mitchell advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Rod Grandon (D)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

See also: Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 6

Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline defeated Jennifer Lewis in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Benjamin Lee Cline (R)	64.4	173,352
		Jennifer Lewis (D)	35.4	95,410
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	588

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 269,350
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Danny LeBeau (Independent)

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jennifer Lewis (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6

Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline defeated Merritt Hale in the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on June 21, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Benjamin Lee Cline	82.1	19,620
		Merritt Hale	17.9	4,264

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,884
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic convention

The Democratic convention was canceled. Jennifer Lewis advanced from the Democratic convention for U.S. House Virginia District 6.

2020

See also: Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2020

Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Republican primary)

Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (May 9 Democratic convention)

General election

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 6

Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline defeated Nicholas Betts in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Benjamin Lee Cline (R)	64.6	246,606
		Nicholas Betts (D)	35.3	134,729
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	478

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 381,813
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Aaron Luciani (Independent)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Benjamin Lee Cline advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Caleb Quinton (G)

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for U.S. House Virginia District 6

Nicholas Betts advanced from the Democratic convention for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on May 9, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Nicholas Betts (D)

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Virginia's 6th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

Benjamin Lee Cline defeated Jennifer Lewis in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on November 6, 2018.

General election

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 6

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Benjamin Lee Cline (R)	59.7	167,957
		Jennifer Lewis (D)	40.2	113,133
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	287

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 281,377
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Frend (Independent)
• Steve America (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Jennifer Lewis defeated Peter Volosin, Charlotte Moore, and Sergio Coppola in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6 on June 12, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 6

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Lewis	47.7	8,202
		Peter Volosin	27.2	4,678
		Charlotte Moore	18.5	3,175
		Sergio Coppola	6.7	1,150

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 17,205
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

The 6th Congressional District Republican Committee held a nominating convention on May 19, 2018. State Delegate Ben Cline (R) was selected as the Republican nominee for U.S. House Virginia District 6 after receiving 52 percent of the vote.

2017

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2017

General election

Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2017. All 100 house seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 13, 2017. The filing deadline for primary election candidates was March 30, 2017. The filing deadline for non-party candidates and candidates nominated by methods other than a primary was June 13, 2017. Incumbent Ben Cline (R) defeated John Winfrey (Independent) in the Virginia House of Delegates District 24 general election.

Virginia House of Delegates, District 24 General Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ben Cline Incumbent	72.19%	17,351
	Independent	John Winfrey	27.81%	6,683
Total Votes				24,034
Source: Virginia Department of Elections

Democratic primary election

No Democratic candidate filed to run for this seat.

Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.

Virginia House of Delegates, District 24 Democratic Primary, 2017
Candidate

Republican primary election

Incumbent Ben Cline ran unopposed in the Virginia House of Delegates District 24 Republican primary.

Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.

Virginia House of Delegates, District 24 Republican Primary, 2017
Candidate
Ben Cline Incumbent

2015

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2015

Elections for the Virginia House of Delegates took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015. Ellen Arthur was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Ben Cline was unopposed in the Republican primary. Cline defeated Arthur in the general election.

Virginia House of Delegates, District 24 General Election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ben Cline Incumbent	71%	13,488
	Democratic	Ellen Arthur	29%	5,517
Total Votes				19,005

2013

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2013

Cline won re-election in the 2013 election for Virginia House of Delegates District 24. Cline ran unopposed in the June 11th Republican Primary. He was unopposed in the general election, which took place on November 5, 2013.

2011

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2011

On November 8, 2011, Cline won re-election to District 24 of the Virginia House of Delegates. He was unopposed in the August 23 primary and also ran unopposed in the November 8 general election.

2009

See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2009

Delegate Cline speaking at the Buena Vista Labor Day Forum

In 2009, Cline was re-elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. He defeated Jeffery Price in the General Election.

Virginia House of Delegates General Election, District 24 (2009)
Candidates		Votes
Ben Cline (R)		13,723
Jeffery Price (D)		5,637

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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2022

Benjamin Lee Cline did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Benjamin Lee Cline did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2013

Cline’s website highlighted the following campaign themes:

• Jobs and Economic Growth

Excerpt: "Business needs a stable regulatory environment that encourages investment and growth. Lower taxes means more money for Virginia families and fewer of our dollars going to Richmond. As your delegate, one of my primary goals has been to help working families in our part of Virginia by encouraging economic growth and job creation."

• Government Reform and Transparency

Excerpt: "As Virginians and tax-paying citizens, we want to ensure our government is working for us. In an effort to reform state government and encourage transparency and accountability, I have fought to shine a spotlight on wasteful spending and am always seeking ways to make government programs work more efficiently."

• Education

Excerpt: "Securing a top-quality education for our students will ensure a highly-trained workforce for local employers, and it will help keep our young people from being forced to leave this area to find work. I believe that the focus of education should be learning, not administrative bureaucracy. We need to make sure the money spent in schools gets to the classroom where it can impact results because nothing less than the future of children is at stake. For this reason, I sponsored legislation in 2012 to require two-thirds of all education dollars go toward the classroom."

• Transportation

Excerpt: "For Virginia to encourage economic development and attract large employers to our region, we need to maintain one of the most comprehensive transportation infrastructure networks in the nation by investing in our system of roads, rail, airports, and seaports. That’s why I have supported legislation to dedicate a greater portion of General Fund revenues to transportation, as well as a 'Lock Box' constitutional amendment to secure revenues for transportation."

• Public Safety

Excerpt: "I support making sure our public safety professionals have the tools and training they need to protect effectively. Safe communities mean productive communities, and productive communities mean better jobs. Without safe neighborhoods, no efforts in education or job creation will be successful."

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Notable candidate endorsements by Benjamin Lee Cline

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Donald Trump  source  (R)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	–
Gloria E. Carlineo  source  (Independent)	Shenandoah County Public Schools, District 3 (2023)	General	–
Hollie L. Cave  source  (Independent)	Rockingham County Public Schools, District 5 (2023)	General	Won General
Michael D. Rickard  source  (Independent)	Shenandoah County Public Schools, District 6 (2023)	General	–
Delane Karalow  source  (Independent)	Frederick County Public Schools, Opequon District (2023)	General	–
Dianna H. Klein  source  (Independent)	Frederick County Public Schools, At-large (2023)	General	–
Edward S. Sturdivant  source  (Independent)	Frederick County Public Schools, Back Creek District (2023)	General	–
Frank J. Funes  source  (Independent)	Frederick County Public Schools, Gainesboro District (2023)	General	–
Harriet Hageman  source  (R)	U.S. House Wyoming At-large District (2022)	Primary	Won General

Noteworthy events

Electoral vote certification on January 6-7, 2021

See also: Counting of electoral votes (January 6-7, 2021)

Congress convened a joint session on January 6-7, 2021, to count electoral votes by state and confirm the results of the 2020 presidential election. Cline voted against certifying the electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania. The House rejected both objections by a vote of 121-303 for Arizona and 138-282 for Pennsylvania.

Campaign finance summary

---

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

Benjamin Lee Cline campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Virginia District 6	On the Ballot general	$493,295	$327,775
2022	U.S. House Virginia District 6	Won general	$993,252	$964,685
2020	U.S. House Virginia District 6	Won general	$900,313	$680,286
2018	U.S. House Virginia District 6	Won general	$989,461	N/A**
2017	Virginia House of Delegates District 24	Won general	$108,059	N/A**
Grand total			$3,484,379	$1,972,746
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Virginia

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2018

In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 10 through March 10. Special sessions were held from April 11 to May 30 and from August 30 to October 30.

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

• The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2018-2019 report card

Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty."

• The Middle Resolution

Legislators are scored on their voting record related to The Middle Resolution's priorities.

• NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia

Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues.

• Virginia Chamber of Commerce

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• Virginia Chapter Sierra Club

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy.

• Virginia Citizens Defense League

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment.

• Virginia Education Association

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.

• Virginia Free

Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues.

• Virginia League of Conservation Voters

Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues.

• Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation House and Senate

Legislators are scored based on their votes toward various bills supported by the organization

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 11 through February 25. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2016-2017 report card Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty." NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2016-2017 legislative voting record Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues. Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Virginia Chapter Sierra Club Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy. Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2017 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment. Virginia Education Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. Virginia Free Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues. Virginia League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes toward various bills supported by the organization

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 13 through March 11. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2016-2017 legislative voting record Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues. Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership: 2016 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on business and quality of life issues. The American Conservative Union: 2016 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2016-2017 report card Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty." Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2016 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment. Virginia Chamber of Commerce: 2016 legislative report card Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues during the 2016-2017 legislative session. Virginia Chapter Sierra Club: 2016 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy. Virginia Education Association: 2016 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. Virginia Free: 2016 legislator ratings Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues. Virginia League of Conservation Voters: 2016 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation: House and Senate Legislators are scored on their votes on 11 bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].

In 2015, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 14 to February 28, 2015. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2014-2015 Legislative Voting Record Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues. National Federation of Independent Business-Virginia: 2014-2015 voting record Legislators are scored based on their votes on small business issues. Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership: 2015 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on business and quality of life issues. The American Conservative Union: 2015 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2014-2015 Report Card Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty." Virginia Chamber of Commerce: 2015 Legislative Report Card Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues during the 2014-2015 legislative session. Virginia Chapter Sierra Club: 2015 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy. Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2015 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment. Virginia Education Association: 2015 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. Virginia Free: 2014/2015 Legislator Ratings Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues. Virginia League of Conservation Voters: 2015 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation: House - Senate Legislators are scored on their votes on 16 bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.

2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].

In 2014, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 8 through March 10. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2014-2015 Legislative Voting Record Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues. National Federation of Independent Business-Virginia: 2014-2015 voting record Legislators are scored based on their votes on small business issues. Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership: 2014 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on business and quality of life issues. The American Conservative Union: 2014 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2014-2015 Report Card Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty." Virginia Chamber of Commerce: 2014 Legislative Report Card Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues during the 2014-2015 legislative session. Virginia Chapter Sierra Club: 2014 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy. Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2014 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment. Virginia Education Association: 2014 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. Virginia Free: 2014/2015 Legislator Ratings Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues. Virginia League of Conservation Voters: 2014 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. Virginia Manufacturers Association: 2014 Legislative Wrap Up Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that VMA introduced or was part of a coalition that introduced it. Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation: House - Senate Legislators are scored on their votes on ten bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].

In 2013, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 9 to February 25. EV Advocates: 2012-2013 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored based on their voting record on the issue of equality. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2012-2013 Legislative Voting Record Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues. The American Conservative Union: 2013 Legislative scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2012-2013 Report Card Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty." Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2013 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment. Virginia Free: 2013 Legislator Ratings Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues. Virginia League of Conservation Voters: 2013 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation: House - Senate Legislators are scored on their votes on fifteen bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.

2012

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show].

In 2012, the Virginia General Assembly was in regular session from January 11 to March 10. EV Advocates: 2012-2013 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored based on their voting record on the issue of equality. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2012-2013 Legislative Voting Record Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues. The American Conservative Union: 2012 Legislative scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2012-2013 Report Card Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty." Virginia Free: 2012 Legislator Ratings Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues. Virginia League of Conservation Voters: 2012 Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation: House - Senate Legislators are scored on their votes on twelve bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Cline has a wife, Elizabeth.

See also

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Candidate

U.S. House Virginia District 6

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Officeholder

U.S. House Virginia District 6

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bob Goodlatte (R)	U.S. House Virginia District 6 2019-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Virginia House of Delegates District 24 2002-2018	Succeeded by -

[show]

Virginia's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tim Kaine (D)

Mark Warner (D)

Representatives

District 1

Rob Wittman (R)

District 2

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

District 3

Bobby Scott (D)

District 4

Jennifer McClellan (D)

District 5

Bob Good (R)

District 6

Benjamin Lee Cline (R)

District 7

Abigail Spanberger (D)

District 8

Donald Sternoff Beyer (D)

District 9

H. Morgan Griffith (R)

District 10

Jennifer Wexton (D)

District 11

Gerald Edward Connolly (D)

Democratic Party (8)

Republican Party (5)