Incumbent
OR-02 Republican nominee?
$3.4K
MAY 20, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleU.S. Representative
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age74 years old (Jan 12, 1952)
GenderMale
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LocationOregon
BackgroundAttorney
EducationEastern Oregon State College (now Eastern Oregon University), B.S., 1974
Notable personal detailsCliff Stewart Bentz is an American politician, attorney, rancher, and farmer serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District since 2021. He previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives (2008–2018) and the Oregon State Senate (2018–2020), and earlier served on the Oregon Water Resources Commission, including as chair. He earned a B.S. from Eastern Oregon State College (1974) and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark College (1977).
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports Republican-led tax cuts and reduced federal spending while expressing concern about deficits; has defended and voted for GOP tax-and-spending legislation that phases out certain tax credits and reduces some federal programs. Emphasizes deficit reduction and smaller government intervention in energy and related tax policy.
Healthcare
Cliff Bentz opposes government-run healthcare and has called for replacing the Affordable Care Act with free‑market solutions (including allowing purchase across state lines and group‑plan options). As a U.S. Representative he has voted with Republican measures that would reduce federal Medicaid/benefits spending and voted against the Affordable Insulin Now Act (H.R. 6833).
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Immigration & Border
Cliff Bentz favors stronger border enforcement and measures to stop unlawful entry, and he publicly supported H.R.2 (the Secure the Border Act of 2023). He has also demonstrated some support for targeted legal worker pathways (breaking with some Republicans to back a farmworker visa measure), indicating limited openness to specific legal immigration reforms alongside enforcement priorities.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate states that life begins at conception and supports protecting life from conception with exception only when the mother’s life is at risk. As a member of Congress he has voted in ways that restrict abortion-related funding and criticized the overturning of Roe v. Wade as supporting pro-life outcomes.
Climate & Energy
Supports increased domestic energy production and energy independence, favors market- and resource-focused solutions (timber, water, local energy) over aggressive federal emissions regulations, and has criticized certain renewable-related decisions (such as dam removals) while urging reconsideration of nuclear and other supply-side options to address future power needs. Positions emphasize protecting rural economic uses of land and water and opposing policies viewed as punitive or overly regulatory on fossil fuel and resource industries.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports strong protection of Second Amendment rights, holds a concealed carry permit, and opposes what he calls overreaching gun-control legislation while supporting responsible gun ownership. He has repeatedly voted to protect gun rights in the Oregon Legislature and describes opposition to specific state gun-control bills as unconstitutional.
Endorsements
Endorsers of Cliff Bentz for OR-02 Republican nominee?
The Young Republicans of Oregon
Public endorsement
The Young Republicans of Oregon endorsed Cliff Bentz.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262022
2024
2026
LatestCycle 2022
Cycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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