Denver Riggleman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Denver Riggleman
Denver Riggleman, official 116th Congress photo portrait.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 5th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byTom Garrett
Personal details
Born
Denver Lee Riggleman III

(1970-03-17) March 17, 1970 (age 49)
Manassas, Virginia
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Christine Blair Riggleman (m. 1989)
EducationRowan College at Burlington County (AA)
Community College of the Air Force (AS)
University of Virginia (BA)
Villanova University (GradCert)
WebsiteHouse website

Denver Lee Riggleman III (born March 17, 1970) is an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia, currently serving in the United States House of Representatives for Virginia's 5th congressional district. A former Air Force officer and National Security Agency contractor, Riggleman opened a craft distillery in Virginia in 2014. As a Republican, he ran for his party's nomination in the 2017 gubernatorial election, but withdrew from the race. Riggleman was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2018.

Early life and education[edit]

Riggleman was born and raised in Manassas, Virginia.[1][2] He graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School in 1988.[2] Riggleman earned an Associate of Arts (AA) from Rowan College at Burlington County, formerly Burlington County College, in 1996.[3] He garnered an Associate of Science (AS) in Avionics Systems from the Community College of the Air Force in 1996.[3] In 1998, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.[3] Riggleman received a Graduate Certificate (GradCert) in Project Management from Villanova University in 2007.[3]

Career[edit]

Riggleman served in the United States Air Force for a total of eleven years. After initially serving as an enlisted avionics technician, he later received a commission and went on to serve as an intelligence officer. Riggleman then worked as a contractor for the National Security Agency.[2]

In 2014, he and his wife opened Silverback Distillery, a craft distillery in Afton, Virginia, outside Charlottesville.[2][4] The Shenandoah Valley facility encompasses 50 acres.[2] Riggleman has pushed for deregulation of distilleries in the state and changes to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; together with other distillers, the Rigglemans established a "loosely formed distillers guild" and hired a lobbyist to press for changes.[4] Riggleman has "criticized the state's alcohol and tax laws as unfairly harsh toward spirits producers and spoke[n] of a new 'whiskey rebellion.'"[5]

Political career[edit]

Gubernatorial election[edit]

In December 2016, Riggleman filed papers to seek the Republican nomination for governor of Virginia in the 2017 gubernatorial election.

His opponents in the Republican primary were former President George W. Bush counselor and Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie, Prince William County Board of Supervisors chairman Corey Stewart, and state Senator Frank Wagner of Virginia Beach.[2]

Sitting Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam and former Representative Tom Perriello sought the Democratic nomination.[6]

Riggleman suspended his campaign on March 16, 2017.[1]

United States House of Representatives[edit]

2018 election[edit]

Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia § District 5
Riggleman speaking with attendees at the 2018 Young Americans for Liberty National Convention

In the 2018 elections, Riggleman was the Republican nominee for the United States House of Representatives election for Virginia's 5th congressional district. Riggleman defeated Cynthia Dunbar, who had lost the Republican nomination in the 6th district just weeks before, in the final round of voting to get the Republican nomination.[7] The Republican incumbent, Tom Garrett, did not run for re-election.[8]

In the November 2018 general election, Riggleman defeated Democratic nominee Leslie Cockburn, receiving 53% of the vote to Cockburn's 47%.[9]

During the campaign, Cockburn accused Riggleman of being a "devotee of Bigfoot erotica", based on an image he shared from his Instagram to promote a book titled The Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him. In an interview with CRTV Riggleman stated that the image was an obvious joke, but that he had an interest in Bigfoot, and co-authored the actual self-published book Bigfoot Exterminators, Inc.: The Partially Cautionary, Mostly True Tale of Monster Hunt 2006, with ESPN writer Don Barone.[10] In a phone interview with The Washington Post, he clarified that it was an "anthropological book sort of based on parody and satire" and said "I thought it was funny. There is no way that anybody's dumb enough to think this is real."[11]

2020 election[edit]

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia § District 5

Riggleman has faced criticism from the Rappahannock County Republican Party after he officiated a same-sex wedding between two of his friends, and was censured by party officials in September who claimed that he “abandoned party principles” over fiscal and immigration policy.[12]

On September 26, 2019, Campbell County's Board of Supervisor Bob Good—who also works as an athletics official at Liberty University—announced his intention to challenge Riggleman for his House seat in the 2020 Republican primary. In his announcement, Good accused Riggleman of “betraying” the trust of conservative voters in the 5th district along with casting votes that were not in the best interest of his constituency's entire populace. Riggleman has already secured key endorsements on the right, including from Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr.[13]

Tenure[edit]

Committee assignments[edit]

Caucus memberships[edit]

  • International Conservation Caucus
  • House Manufacturing Caucus
  • Congressional Candy Caucus
  • Small Brewers Caucus
  • Bourbon Caucus
  • Republican Study Committee
  • Congressional EMS Caucus
  • Congressional Service Women and Women Veterans Caucus

Electoral history[edit]

Virginia's 5th congressional district, 2018[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Denver Riggleman 165,339 53.18
Democratic Leslie Cockburn 145,040 46.65
n/a Write-ins 547 0.18
Total votes 310,926 100.0
Republican hold

Personal life[edit]

Riggleman is married to Christine Blair Riggleman (m. 1989), and they reside in Nellysford.[2] The Rigglemans have three daughters together: Lillian, Abigail, and Lauren.[2] In July 2019, Riggleman was the officiant at a same-sex marriage for two of his friends and campaign volunteers.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Vozzella, Laura (March 16, 2017). "Populist candidate Denver Riggleman drops out of GOP race for Virginia governor". Washington Post.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Portnoy, Jenna (December 28, 2016). "A fourth Republican enters the race for Virginia governor". Washington Post.
  3. ^ a b c d "Denver Riggleman III's Biography". Vote Smart.
  4. ^ a b Portnoy, Jenna (February 14, 2016). "Va.'s growing craft distillery industry pushes against regulatory roadblocks". Washington Post.
  5. ^ Moomaw, Graham (December 10, 2016). "As Trump era dawns, 2017 Virginia GOP hopefuls court supporters at gathering in Richmond". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  6. ^ Schneider, Gregory S. (February 2, 2017). "In Va. race for governor, Northam faces Trump voters, aggressive opponent and his own genteel nature". Washington Post.
  7. ^ WRABEL, ALLISON. "Riggleman selected as GOP nominee in 5th District". Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  8. ^ Virginia Department of Elections, Certified Candidates in Ballot Order for November 6, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  9. ^ "Virginia Election Results: Fifth House District". New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  10. ^ Stack, Liam (July 30, 2018). "'Bigfoot Erotica' Becomes an Issue in Virginia Congressional Campaign". New York Times.
  11. ^ Charles, Ron (July 30, 2018). "What is Bigfoot erotica? A Virginia congressional candidate accused her opponent of being into it". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Burke, Julie (September 16, 2019). "Virginia county GOP censures Rep. Riggleman, sparking sharp response". The Hill. Internet. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  13. ^ Friedenberger, Amy (September 26, 2019). "Liberty University official to challenge Rep. Denver Riggleman for GOP nomination". The Roanoke Times. Newspaper. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  14. ^ "Official Results". 2018 November General. Virginia Department of Elections. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  15. ^ Vozzella, Laura (July 15, 2019). "Conservative GOP congressman presides at same-sex wedding in Virginia". washingtonpost.com.

External links[edit]

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Tom Garrett 		Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 5th congressional district
2019–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Guy Reschenthaler 		United States Representatives by seniority
400th 		Succeeded by
John Rose
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Denver_Riggleman&oldid=936528216"