Cliff Bentz
Encyclopedia
Cliff Bentz is a Republican
politician from the US state of Oregon
. He serves in the Oregon House of Representatives
representing District 60, which encompasses the counties of Malheur
, Baker
, and Harney
, and part of Grant County
, and which includes the cities of Baker City
, Burns
, and Ontario
.
and was 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, Oregon
in 1970.
He received a bachelor's degree from Eastern Oregon State College
(now Eastern Oregon University) in 1974 and a JD from Lewis & Clark Law School
in 1977. From 1977 to 1980, he was a law associate with the Ontario 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.
.
, live in Ontario and have two teenage children.
Oregon Republican Party
The Oregon Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Oregon, headquartered in Lake Oswego. The first state party convention was held in Salem on April 21, 1859, and its first nominee for Congress, Portland attorney David Logan...
politician from the US state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He serves in the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
representing District 60, which encompasses the counties of Malheur
Malheur County, Oregon
Malheur County is a county located in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon. Most of the county observes the Mountain Time Zone, although the southern quarter of the county observes the Pacific Time Zone along with the...
, Baker
Baker County, Oregon
Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. It is named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. It was split from the eastern part...
, and Harney
Harney County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile...
, and part of Grant County
Grant County, Oregon
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. In 2010, its population was 7,445. It is named for President Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an army officer in the Oregon Territory, and at the time of the county's creation...
, and which includes the cities of Baker City
Baker City, Oregon
Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker. The population was 9,828 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Burns
Burns, Oregon
Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...
, and Ontario
Ontario, Oregon
Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. The population was 10,985 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 11,245 in 2006...
.
Early life and career
Bentz was born in Salem, OregonSalem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
and was raised on ranches in the eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
communities of Fields
Fields, Oregon
Fields is a small unincorporated community in Harney County, Oregon, United States, located south of Burns.In 2000, the community had a population of 86, including 17 students through grade 8. The average age was 38; the average household size was 2.53 persons; the average household income was...
and Drewsey
Drewsey, Oregon
Drewsey is an unincorporated community in Harney County, Oregon, United States. Before White settlement, the area was a favorite camping spot for the Paiute tribe of Native Americans. It is located on the middle fork of the Malheur River, about 45 miles east of Burns, off U.S...
. He graduated from Regis High School
Regis High School (Stayton, Oregon)
Regis High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Stayton, Oregon, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland. Regis High School is one of only two Catholic high schools in Marion County.-Academics:...
in the Willamette Valley city of Stayton, Oregon
Stayton, Oregon
Stayton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, located southeast of the state capital, Salem, on Oregon Route 22. It is south of Sublimity and east of Aumsville. Located on the North Santiam River, Stayton is a regional agricultural and light manufacturing center. The population was...
in 1970.
He received a bachelor's degree from Eastern Oregon State College
Eastern Oregon University
Eastern Oregon University is one of seven state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the State of Oregon and belongs to the Oregon University System...
(now Eastern Oregon University) in 1974 and a JD from Lewis & Clark Law School
Lewis & Clark Law School
Lewis and Clark Law School is a private American law school located in Portland, Oregon. In the last ten years, L&C's Environmental Law program has been the highest-rated in the United States eight times....
in 1977. From 1977 to 1980, he was a law associate with the Ontario 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.
Political career
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 electionOregon legislative elections, 2010
The 2010 elections for the Oregon Legislative Assembly determined the composition of both houses for the 76th Oregon Legislative Assembly. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were on May 18, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010...
.
Personal
Bentz and his wife Lindsay, a veterinarianVeterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, live in Ontario and have two teenage children.