The 2024 election cycle has ended, with Republicans holding control of all three branches of government. The Washington Examiner interviewed over two dozen new members as they prepare to take office in January. Part 4 of Capitol’s new crop will focus on the family legacy of one prominent incoming House Republican.
Rep.-elect Riley Moore, hailing from a long line of family members involved in West Virginia politics, says he spent his life running from politics. Now, he’s set to represent the state in Congress.
He was elected to the same seat his aunt, now Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), once claimed in the House, as he is set to represent West Virginia’s Second Congressional District. His grandfather, former GOP Gov. Arch Alfred Moore Jr., served as governor of the state for 12 years and also served the same district in Congress.
MEET THE NEW CONGRESS: THE HOUSE AND SENATE FRESHMEN ELECTED TO SERVE NEXT YEAR
“West Virginia is a small state. We all kind of know each other,” Moore told the Washington Examiner. “There’s a lot of trust there, I think, in my family, and the type of job that we’re going to be able to do for them here in Washington, D.C.”
“West Virginia is a state that has been crushed by globalization, unfair trade, and the opioid crisis and immigration, so there’s a lot of problems in West Virginia. That’s why I ran for Congress to try to fight for the people of my district,” Moore said.
Prior to entering Congress, Moore was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and is currently the state’s treasurer. Before running for office himself, he worked on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as an adviser.
Moore won outgoing Rep. Alex Mooney’s (R-WV) seat as he vacated it in order to run for Senate. Moore said Mooney has been “giving him a lot of advice” in the transition.
“He was a great member of Congress for us,” Moore said. Mooney ended up losing the 2024 Senate primary to Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV).
Moore is one of 30 new Republican members of the 119th Congress. He was elected freshman representative to the GOP’s Elected Leadership Committee. He’s formed an early bond with Rep.-elects Brandon Gill (R-TX), Brian Jack (R-GA), and Addison McDowell (R-NC) as the four men look to enact President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.
Once sworn into office in January, Moore said he plans to join caucuses that align with West Virginia’s interests such as the anti-abortion, Second Amendment, and coal caucuses.
He said he is not sure of the exact committees he would like to join, but he enjoyed his time working on the Foreign Affairs Committee as an adviser. The House Financial Services Committee is also of interest to him, coming into Congress with experience from being West Virginia’s Treasurer.
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While the 118th Congress was plagued by high levels of unproductiveness and GOP infighting, Moore and other freshmen members see a new path forward under Trump. He said his focus for this session is on bringing back to the U.S. jobs that had moved abroad and “fighting back this woke left culture that’s out there.”
“We have a mandate to fix this country,” Moore said. “And I’m proud to be part of it.”