Cliff Bentz Bio
Cliff Stewart Bentz (born January 12, 1952) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. Representative for Oregon’s 2nd congressional district since 2021. A Republican, he previously served in both chambers of the Oregon Legislature, representing the 60th district in the Oregon House of Representatives and the 30th district in the Oregon State Senate. Bentz is also a practicing attorney specializing in agricultural, water, and real property law, and he operates an alfalfa farm in eastern Oregon.
Raised on family ranches in rural Oregon, Bentz built a career that blended legal practice, agricultural work, and public service before entering Congress. Since the departure of Lori Chavez-DeRemer in 2025, he has been the sole Republican in Oregon’s congressional delegation.
Early Life and Background
Cliff Stewart Bentz was born on January 12, 1952, in Salem, Oregon, to Kenneth and Anne Bentz. He was raised on family ranches in the small eastern Oregon communities of Fields and Drewsey, in Harney County. His grandfather, Paul Stewart, had moved to Harney County in 1916 and acquired a small ranch, gradually trading properties to build the family’s current ranching operation.
Bentz has six siblings and grew up immersed in the agricultural life of eastern Oregon. He graduated from Regis High School in the Willamette Valley city of Stayton in 1970. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Oregon State College, now known as Eastern Oregon University, in 1974, and received his Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1977.
Path to US Politics
Bentz began his public service as a member of the Oregon Water Resources Commission, serving from 1988 to 1996 and chairing the commission from 1994 to 1996. The role gave him early exposure to state-level policy and natural resource management, issues that would later shape his legislative priorities.
In 2008, county commissioners in Oregon House District 60 appointed Bentz to replace Tom Butler, who had resigned to pursue a church mission. That appointment launched a state legislative career that would span more than a decade. He balanced his legal practice, ranching work, and political service, steadily building a reputation in eastern Oregon as a conservative lawmaker focused on rural economic issues.
Cliff Bentz Career
Early Career (1977–2008)
From 1977 to 1980, Bentz worked as a law associate at the Ontario, Oregon, law firm Yturri Rose. In 1980, he was made a partner at the firm, a position he continues to hold. He built a specialty in agricultural, water, and real property law, areas closely tied to the needs of farmers and ranchers across eastern Oregon.
Alongside his legal career, Bentz owns a 100-acre alfalfa farm, giving him direct experience with the agricultural sector he would later champion in the legislature. His combination of legal expertise and hands-on ranching helped establish his standing as a voice for rural Oregon before he entered elected office.
Breakthrough (2008–2018)
In 2008, Bentz won the Republican primary for Oregon House District 60 and was unopposed in the general election. He was reelected in 2010, again without opposition in either the primary or the general election. Over the next several years, he served on multiple committees, eventually becoming vice-chair of bodies including Transportation and Economic Development, Revenue, and Joint Tax Credits. He also co-chaired the Transportation Committee.
On January 8, 2018, Bentz was sworn in as a state senator representing Oregon’s 30th district, replacing Ted Ferrioli, who had resigned to take a political appointment. During his time in the legislature, Bentz gained attention as one of eleven Republican state senators who, beginning on June 20, 2019, refused to attend legislative sessions in an effort to block a vote on HB2020, a cap-and-trade proposal aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The boycott continued into 2020, drawing statewide and national coverage.
Republican Era (2018–Present)
Bentz resigned from the Oregon State Senate effective January 2, 2020, to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. In May 2020, he won the Republican primary for Oregon’s 2nd congressional district and went on to defeat Democrat Alex Spenser and independent Patrick Archer in the November 2020 general election. He was sworn into the U.S. House in January 2021.
In Congress, Bentz has generally voted along Republican party lines. He supported the establishment of the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex in May 2021. He voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack, and he has voiced support for measures expanding presidential executive authority. He has also drawn attention for canceling town halls with constituents and for his use of federal funds for high-end travel accommodations, as reported by the Malheur Enterprise in 2025.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Bentz’s career was his role in the 2019 Oregon Senate Republican walkout over cap-and-trade legislation, which made national headlines. In the U.S. House, his vote against certifying Pennsylvania’s 2020 electoral college votes and his subsequent acknowledgment of Joe Biden’s victory marked a notable chapter of his tenure. Since the start of the second Trump administration, his consistent alignment with party-line votes has reinforced his position as a reliable Republican voice from Oregon.
Cliff Bentz Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Bentz was born to Kenneth and Anne Bentz and raised on family ranches in eastern Oregon. He has six siblings, and his grandfather, Paul Stewart, settled in Harney County in 1916, gradually trading ranches to build the family’s current property. His brother, James Bentz, has been among his largest campaign contributors.
Personal Life
Bentz and his wife, Lindsay Norman, have been married since 1987. Lindsay Bentz is a veterinarian. The couple lives in Ontario, Oregon, and has two children. Bentz is a devout Roman Catholic and attends Blessed Sacrament Church in Ontario, where he previously chaired the St. Peter Catholic grade school board for five years.