Riley Keaton
Riley Keaton | |
---|---|
Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 11th district | |
Assumed office 2020 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Nicholas Riley Keaton August 19, 1997 Spencer, West Virginia |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Bachelor of Divinity, West Virginia University |
Nicholas Riley Keaton (born August 9, 1997) is an American politician who has served as a Delegate from the 11th District to the West Virginia House of Delegates since 2020. Keaton is a Republican.
Early life, education, and career[]
Keaton was born in Spencer, West Virginia, to Tony and Tracey Keaton. He studied for his Bachelor of Economics degree at West Virginia University. As a teenager, Keaton was politically active. Before assuming office, Keaton was employed as the president of a limited liability company.[1][2]
Elections[]
2016[]
In his first primary, Keaton narrowly lost to incumbent Rick Atkinson in a three-way race, receiving 37.36% of the vote and missing the nomination by only 28 votes.[3]
2020[]
In the 2020 primary, Keaton defeated Atkinson with 52.01% of the vote to win the nomination.[4]
In the general election, Keaton defeated Democrat Mark Pauley with 66.46% of the vote.[5]
Tenure[]
Committee assignments[]
- Banking and Insurance[6]
- Judiciary
- Small Business and Economic Development
- Technology & Infrastructure
Keaton is an assistant majority whip in the House of Delegates.[1]
Keaton has a 92% rating from the NRA and a 100% rating from the West Virginia Citizens Defense League, a regional gun rights organization.[1]
DC statehood[]
With many of his fellow Delegates, Keaton signed onto a resolution requesting West Virginia Senators and Congresspeople to oppose bills that would allow statehood for the District of Columbia.[7]
Education[]
Keaton opposed Senate Bill 680, a bill that would make it harder for school staff to be given raises, but the bill passed the House of Delegates despite some Republican opposition.[8]
Freedom of speech[]
Keaton was the lead sponsor of House Bill 2595, a bill that would prohibit so-called "divisive concepts" from being taught in West Virginia schools or promoted in other state-funded agencies. It targeted criticisms of American society, eliminating language that would refer to the US as a "fundamentally racist or sexist" country.[6][9][10][11]
Worker's rights[]
Keaton voted for SB 11, a bill that would make it more difficult for employees to strike.[12][13][1]
Personal life[]
Keaton is unmarried. He is a Catholic.[2]
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Riley Keaton's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "West Virginia Delegate Biography: Delegate Keaton". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "2016 Primary Election: House of Delegates 11th District". West Virginia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Primary Election: House of Delegates 11th District". West Virginia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "2020 General Election: House of Delegates 11th District". West Virginia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Member Profiles: Delegate Keaton". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "WV GOP Letter (2021)" (PDF). Students for DC Statehood. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ Quinn, Ryan. "WV Legislature sends governor bill that could eliminate school workers' raises". West Virginia Gazette-Mail. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Folley, Aris. "West Virginia GOP introduces bill seeking to prohibit 'divisive acts' in schools, workforce". The Hill. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Myer, Christina. "Legislating ego protection". Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Dorman, Sam. "West Virginia bill would ban agencies from touting 'divisive' concepts, like US is 'fundamentally racist'". Fox News. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Adams, Steven Allen. "W.Va. Senate sends message: Public worker strikes illegal". The Times Leader. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ "SB 11 Voting Record". Vote Smart. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- 1997 births
- Living people
- West Virginia Republicans
- 21st-century American politicians
- Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates
- Catholics from West Virginia
- People from Spencer, West Virginia