Ben Dryer is C.J. Cregg's ex-boyfriend whom she met at the University of Berkeley, where he studied Land Management. They lived together for six months.[1] He has a daughter, an ex-wife named Katie, and a mother-in-law he looks after.[2] He works for the Department of the Interior as a ranger in the National Park Service.[3]
He moves to Washington D.C. for work and begins to call C.J. repeatedly, but she doesn't return his calls.[1][4][5] Carol Fitzpatrick schedules an appointment for him to see her that C.J. misses.[3]
C.J. finally returns his calls after she has a difficult day at work and a confrontation with her onetime lover John Hoynes.[6] C.J. tells him "she's in" when he stops by the White House again, but he doesn't understand her meaning because they haven't seen each other in six years or dated in fifteen; she calls him back, but their conversation is interrupted by Ellie Bartlet.[2]
He stops by the White House before C.J. leaves for the Brussels summit. C.J. thinks he has come to say a lovelorn goodbye, but he is actually bringing her the things she left at his house. They have lunch together, and while discussing the threat of media conglomerates, he tells Leo McGarry his job takes him to remote places where he can only get his news from CNN.[7]
On the night of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, C.J. cancels their plans to go camping the next day and fish because she is stuck at the White House in a crash; however, Donna Moss points out she could have made it.[8] Ultimately, C.J. and Ben break up, and she begins dating a man named Tommy.[9]