Riley Keaton
Riley Keaton | |
|---|---|
| Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates | |
| In office December 1, 2020 – October 12, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Rick Atkinson |
| Succeeded by | Erica Moore |
| Constituency | 11th district (2020–2022) 15th district (2022–2023) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicholas Riley Keaton August 19, 1997 Spencer, West Virginia |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Roane County High School |
Nicholas Riley Keaton (born August 9, 1997) is an American politician who served as a Delegate to the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2020 to 2023. Keaton is a Republican.
Early life, education, and career[edit]
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[edit]
2016[edit]
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[edit]
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]
2022[edit]
In 2022, Keaton's district changed following the states redistricting. He was once again up against Rick Atkinson in the primary. On May 10, 2022, he went on to win the primary with 56% of the vote to Atkinson's 44%.[6]
In the general election, Keaton defeated Democrat Chuck Conner with 30.1% of the vote.
Tenure[edit]
Committee assignments[edit]
- Banking and Insurance[7]
- Judiciary
- Small Business and Economic Development
- Technology & Infrastructure
Keaton is an assistant majority whip in the House of Delegates.[1]
Keaton has an "A" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund[8] and a 100% rating from the West Virginia Citizens Defense League, a regional gun rights organization.[1]
DC statehood[edit]
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.[9]
Education[edit]
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.[10]
Freedom of speech[edit]
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.[7][11][12][13]
Worker's rights[edit]
Keaton voted for SB 11, a bill that would make it more difficult for employees to strike.[14][15][1]
Resignation[edit]
On October 12, 2023, Keaton formally resigned from his position in the West Virginia House of Delegates, stating on his Facebook that he has accepted a legislative role with the Jim Justice Administration’s Department of Human Services.[16]
Personal life[edit]
Keaton is a Catholic.[2] On October 8, 2022, Keaton married Sadie Shields at the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Charleston.[17]
References[edit]
- ^ 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.
- ^ "MetroNews Election Results -- Powered by Citynet". electionresults.wvmetronews.com. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ a b "Member Profiles: Delegate Keaton". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "NRA-PVF | Grades | West Virginia". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "WV GOP Letter (2021)" (PDF). Students for DC Statehood. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 29, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ Quinn, Ryan (April 6, 2021). "WV Legislature sends governor bill that could eliminate school workers' raises". West Virginia Gazette-Mail. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Folley, Aris (February 22, 2021). "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 (February 24, 2021). "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.
- ^ "Riley Kenton's Facebook Post With Resignation Letter". www.facebook.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Today, I asked Sadie Rose to marry me. I couldn't be happier". Twitter. Retrieved May 11, 2022.