Republican primary results: Ben Cline easily takes nomination for 6th district seat
Akhil GaneshSTAUNTON — Local ballots this fall will once again have Ben Cline’s name on them, as the incumbent won the Republican nomination for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District over challenger Merritt Hale by a wide margin on Tuesday.
Cline was first elected in 2018 and took office the following January, and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since then. He will run against Waynesboro local Jennifer Lewis in the November election.
In a press release, Cline said, "I look forward to continuing our campaign in the months ahead as we discuss the issues that matter most to voters and how we can work together to find real solutions to the challenges we face as a nation."
Cline has had an eventful time in office, as he was embroiled in the fallout of the Jan. 6 riots when he voted against certifying election results from Arizona and Pennsylvania.
He has voted against legislation like the Build Back Better Act, the American Rescue Plan Act, and the Equality Act. He has also sponsored the Small Business Organization Act of 2019. He has run on a pro-2nd Amendment and pro-life platform.
This will not be the first time that he runs against Lewis, who also ran in 2018 against Cline.
Lewis was declared the Democratic nominee in May, and has been a longtime community advocate in Waynesboro. She is a mental health worker, volunteer, and former member of various boards and commissions in Waynesboro. She has also been outspoken against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
She is running on a platform that focuses on reforming healthcare, environmental protections, and the criminal justice system.
Here’s how the votes shook out locally:
Note: All precincts have not yet reported their data.
Staunton
Cline: 746
Hale: 207
Waynesboro
Cline: 642
Hale: 154
Augusta County
Cline: 3,186
Hale: 452
—Akhil Ganesh is the Government Reporter at The News Leader. You can contact him at aganesh@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @akhildoesthings.