Preceded by Pat Swindall Nationality American Profession Actor Party Democratic Party | Succeeded by John Linder Political party Democratic Name Ben Jones | |
 | ||
Born August 30, 1941 (age 82)
Tarboro, North Carolina U.S. ( 1941-08-30 ) Role Former United States Representative Education Woodrow Wilson High School Previous office United States Representative (1989–1993) Children Walker Jones, Rachel Jones Movies and TV shows The Dukes of Hazzard, The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!, The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard i, Primary Colors, Together for Days Similar People Sonny Shroyer, Sorrell Booke, James Best, Denver Pyle, Catherine Bach Profiles | ||
Ben Lewis Jones (born August 30, 1941) is an American actor, politician, playwright and essayist, best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. Jones also served for four years in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1989 to January 3, 1993.
Contents
Personal life
Jones is a 1959 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia and attended the University of North Carolina for four years. He is married to Alma Viator. By previous wives, Ben has a daughter, Rachel, and a son, Walker.
Since the 1990s, Jones has run a chain of "Cooter's museums" across the U.S., dedicated to The Dukes of Hazzard. "Cooter's Place" currently has locations in Tennessee and Virginia.
Political career
Following the end of The Dukes of Hazzard, Jones entered the political arena as a Democrat. In 1986, he ran unsuccessfully against Pat Swindall for a seat in the United States House of Representatives from Georgia, garnering 47% of the vote, more than expected. He ran again in 1988, against Swindall, this time easily winning with 60% of the vote. Jones was narrowly re-elected in 1990, but in 1992, following redistricting which moved his home into another district, he was defeated in the Democratic primary election. In 1994, he ran against the then-House Minority Whip and soon-to-be House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Jones received 35% of the vote.
Jones has since returned to acting, as well as becoming a well-known writer, writing many political essays and a one-man play about Dizzy Dean in which he plays the famous "Gashouse Gang" pitcher and baseball announcer.
In 1998, he broke from most Democrats and called on President Bill Clinton to resign during his impeachment. Jones is still active in the Democratic Party. In 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States House from Virginia against Republican incumbent Eric Cantor, thus becoming one of very few recent American politicians to seek elective office in more than one state.
Confederate flag controversy
In 2015, Jones announced his support of the Confederate flag, which can be seen on the exterior top of The Dukes of Hazzard signature car, the General Lee. His defense of the flag served as his response to Warner Bros.' decision to no longer manufacture any merchandise that features the flag, such as the General Lee, and the discontinuation of reruns of the show due to Dylann Roof's infamous reputation associated to the flag. His support for the Confederate flag has created tension between Jones and his former Democratic Party colleagues in Congress, as well as the fact that Jones is pro-life on the issue of abortion.