Cliff Bentz

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. He previously served in the Oregon Senate, representing the 30th district, and in the Oregon House of Representatives, representing the 60th district. Following the departure of Lori Chavez-DeRemer in 2025, Bentz is the sole member of the Republican Party in Oregon's congressional delegation and the lone man to be a member of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon following the retirement of Earl Blumenauer.

In May 2020, Bentz won the Republican primary for Oregon's 2nd congressional district and faced Democrat Alex Spenser and independent Patrick Archer in November. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 3, 2020.

Bentz was born in Salem, Oregon, and raised on ranches in the eastern Oregon communities of Fields and Drewsey. He graduated from Regis High School in the Willamette Valley city of Stayton in 1970. He received a bachelor's degree from Eastern Oregon State College (now Eastern Oregon University) in 1974 and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1977.

From 1977 to 1980, Bentz was a law associate with the Ontario, Oregon, law firm Yturri Rose, and was made a partner in the firm in 1980, a position he still holds. He specializes in agricultural, water, and real property law. He also owns a 100-acre alfalfa farm.

Bentz began his career as a member of the Oregon Water Resources Commission from 1988 to 1996. He served as chair of the commission from 1994 to 1996.

In 2008, Bentz was appointed by county commissioners in House District 60 to replace Tom Butler in the Oregon House of Representatives after Butler resigned to pursue a church mission. He defeated Tim K. Smith in the Republican primary in May 2008, and was unopposed in the general election. In 2010, Bentz won another term unopposed in both the primary and the general election.

On January 8, 2018, Bentz was sworn in as state senator to replace Ted Ferrioli, who resigned to take a political appointment. Bentz resigned his seat in the Oregon House and was appointed to the senate seat by the county commissioners in the senate district.

Since 2018, Bentz's largest campaign contributors have been Ironside Associates, a London-based security firm; his brother James Bentz; and his farm, Actin Ranch.