Ben Cline

Cline represented the 24th district, which consisted of Bath and Rockbridge counties, the cities of Buena Vista and Lexington, and parts of Amherst and Augusta counties.

Benjamin Lee Cline (born February 29, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district since 2019.

Cline was born on February 29, 1972, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and grew up in Rockbridge County, Virginia.

He is the son of Philip L. Cline and Julie Cline.

Cline graduated from Lexington High School in 1990, and graduated with a B.A. from Bates College in 1994.

A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 24th district in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2018.

From 2002 to 2007, including his years in law school, Cline was president of NDS Corporation, a Virginia-based company providing sales and marketing assistance to rural Internet and technology businesses.

Cline began his political career in 2002 in a special election to the Virginia House of Delegates, replacing incumbent delegate Vance Wilkins, who resigned due to sexual harassment allegations.

Cline won with 57% of the vote against Democratic former Lexington mayor Mimi Elrod.

In 2003, Cline won again with 69% of the vote against independent E. W. Sheffield.

In 2003, Cline introduced HB2229, which deals with probation for underage alcohol possession.

In 2004, he introduced HB1204, which increased penalties for people with multiple offenses pertaining to driving while intoxicated.

In 2005, he won with 62% of the vote against Democrat David Cox.

In 2006, Cline patroned HB1125, which created a school sales tax holiday in the Commonwealth, and HB1135, which allowed members of the military stationed in the Commonwealth to receive in-state tuition in Virginia.

In 2006, Cline passed two bills, HB1130 and HB1131, that changed the administrative setup of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

He earned a J.D. degree from University of Richmond School of Law in 2007.

Cline ran unopposed in 2007.

In 2007, he patroned HB2168, which created the Community College Transfer Grant Program.

In 2007, he patroned HB2453, which enhanced penalties for repeated offenders of driving without a license, and HB2459, which increased the penalties for elder abuse.

In 2008, Cline supported the opening of an Amherst branch of Central Virginia Community College and new facilities for the Rockbridge branch of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College.

In 2008, he passed HB1362, which established a penalty for the misuse of public assets, and HB1363, which increases penalties for trademark counterfeiting.

In 2009, Cline ran against Democratic Amherst native Jeff Price and won with 71% of the vote, taking the Lexington City precinct for the first time since Price's election in 2002 and every precinct in the 24th House of Delegates district.

In 2009, Cline patroned, but did not have included in the final state budget, amendments to cut the budget of the Virginia Lottery in half, which would in turn put those funds into the Literary Fund used to fund Virginia public schools.

In 2009, he passed HB2285, which created a searchable database of Virginia's agency expenditures.

Additionally, Cline went after the Virginia Lottery in 2009 for the allotment of over $1 million of state funds to use the likeness of Howie Mandel and Donald Trump on lottery tickets.

In 2009, he patroned HB2441, which requires Virginia Department of Corrections to notify prosecutors of gang affiliation of inmates charged with an offense committed while in prison, and HB2637, which requires fingerprinting of people arrested for violating a protective order.

Cline introduced HB2227, which made it a felony to assault retired law enforcement officers, and HB865, which imposed the same penalty regarding assault of campus police officers.

Cline ran unopposed in both 2011 and 2013.

After graduating from law school, he served as an assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for Rockingham County and the city of Harrisonburg until 2013.

Before his election to Congress, Cline maintained a private law practice in Lexington, Harrisonburg, and Amherst.

Cline served as chief of staff for U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte before running for office.

In 2015, Cline won 71% of the vote against Democrat Ellen Arthur.

In 2017, he was reelected 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 retiring incumbent Bob Goodlatte.

On May 19, 2018, Cline won the Republican nomination on the first ballot at the district convention.

Cline won the election on November 6, 2018, winning 15 Virginia localities with more than 60% of the vote against Jennifer Lewis.

He resigned from the Virginia House of Delegates on December 18, 2018.

Cline served on the House of Delegates Committees on Commerce and Labor, Courts of Justice, Finance, and chaired the Militia, Police and Public Safety.

He was also a member of Commerce and Labor Subcommittee #2, Commerce and Labor Special Subcommittee on Energy, Courts of Justice Subcommittee on Criminal Law, Courts of Justice Subcommittee on Judicial Systems and Finance Subcommittee #2.

Cline also co-chaired the Virginia Joint Legislative Conservative Caucus, co-chaired in the Senate of Virginia by Mark Obenshain.