In 2008, Bentz was appointed by county commissioners in House District 60 to replace Tom Butler in the Oregon House of Representatives following Butler's resignation to pursue a church mission. He defeated Tim K. Smith in the Republican primary in May 2008, and then was unopposed in the 2008 general election. In 2010, Bentz won another term, and was unopposed in both the primary and the general election. On January 8, 2018, he 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 at that time, and was appointed to the senate seat by the county commissioners in the senate district. Since 2018, Cliff Bentz's largest campaign contributors have been Ironside Associates, a London based security firm; his brother James Bentz; and his farm Actin Ranch. From June 20, 2019, all 11 Republican state senators for Oregon, including Bentz, refused to show up for work at the Oregon State Capitol, instead going into hiding, some even fleeing the state. Their aim was to prevent a vote on HB2020, a cap-and-trade proposal that would possibly lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to combat climate change by dramatically increasing fuel taxes. The Senate holds 30 seats, but 1 is vacant due to a death. Without the Republican senators, the remaining 18 Democratic state senators could not reach a quorum of 20 to hold a vote. Bentz resigned from office effective January 2, 2020 to run in the 2020 election representing Oregon's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He won the Republican primary and will face Democrat Alex Spenser and Independent Patrick Archer.
Committee assignments
Bentz served as vice-chair of the following committees: Transportation and Economic Development, Revenue, Joint Tax Credits, Revenue, Tax Expenditures, Carbon Reduction, and Finance and Revenue. He served as co-chair of the Transportation Committee and has been a member of multiple others.
Political positions
Abortion
Bentz is Pro-life, stating "I believe that life begins at conception and that life should be protected until death by natural causes occurs." He supports abortion only in the rare case when the mother's life is at risk. In 2019 Bentz received the Atterberry Award from Oregon Right to Life which recognizes Oregon legislators who "are tenacious in their public defense of Oregon’s vulnerable."
On healthcare, Bentz has said: "I strongly oppose government run healthcare... I believe Obamacare should be replaced with solutions that focus on free market principles to help drive down the skyrocketing cost of healthcare."
Immigration
Bentz has said Americans need to support President Trump's efforts to stop illegal immigration.
Electoral History
Personal life
Bentz and his wife Lindsay, a veterinarian, live in Ontario and have two children. Bentz has six siblings. Bentz was born to Kenneth and Anne Bentz and raised on family ranches in Harney County. Paul Stewart, Bentz's grandfather, moved to Harney County in 1916 and purchased a small ranch, slowly trading ranches until he got the current family ranch. Bentz is a devout Roman Catholic and attends Blessed Sacrament Church in Ontario. He served as chair of the St Peter Catholic grade school board for five years.
