 Cranwell was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1972, sharing the multi-member 8th district (Craig and Roanoke Counties and the city of Salem) with Republican Raymond Robrecht.In 1982, after redistricting, he shared the same district, now numbered the 7th, with another Republican, G. Steven Agee.A second redistricting converted the House entirely to single-member districts in 1983.