Cline Wins Fifth Term in Virginia's 6th District
Republican Ben Cline defeated Democrat Beth Macy in the 6th District House race on Tuesday, with a narrower margin than his 2024 victory.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Republican Ben Cline won reelection to a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Democrat Beth Macy in Virginia's 6th District on Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race shortly after 9 p.m.
Why it matters
Cline's margin of roughly 12 percentage points was less than half the 28-point margin he won by in 2024, a notable narrowing in the district. The result shows how competitive the district has become in Virginia's shifting political landscape.
Unofficial returns show Cline with 117,245 votes (55.88 percent) to Macy's 92,117 (43.91 percent), with 21 of 23 localities reporting. His roughly 12-point margin compares with a 28-point win in 2024, and final certified totals were not yet available.
The players
Ben Cline
Cline is a Republican who has represented Virginia's 6th District in the U.S. House and previously served 16 years in the Virginia House of Delegates for the 24th District.
Beth Macy
Macy is a Democrat and former reporter for the Roanoke Times who is the author of the book "Dopesick."
The details
Cline, who previously served 16 years in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 24th District, carried Salem with 52.94 percent of the vote. Macy, a former Roanoke Times reporter and author of "Dopesick," carried the city of Roanoke with nearly 70 percent.
Timeline
2024: Cline defeated Ken Mitchell with 63 percent of the vote.
April 2026: A General Assembly redistricting referendum drew a new competitive map.
May 2026: The Virginia Supreme Court voided the April redistricting referendum.
Mid-October 2026: Macy reported $2.9 million in fundraising compared with Cline's $1.9 million.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Cline won reelection, with the race called shortly after 9 p.m.
Season Trajectory
Cline's 2026 margin of roughly 12 points is less than half his 28-point 2024 win over Ken Mitchell, following a redistricting fight that reshaped the map. The narrowing suggests the 6th District, which follows the Interstate 81 corridor from the northern Shenandoah Valley to Roanoke, has become more contested.
For Virginia voters in the 6th District, the result confirms Cline's continued representation in Congress for the next term. The narrower margin signals that future races in the district may draw closer attention from both parties.
The takeaway
Cline's narrower win shows how quickly a district's competitiveness can shift between election cycles. Voters tracking Virginia's House races should watch how redistricting changes continue to reshape close contests.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in Elections for Virginia.
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