Nick Rahall
Nicholas Joseph Rahall II (/reɪˈhɑːl/ RAY-hall; born May 20, 1949) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 2015. He is the longest-serving member ever of the United States House of Representatives from the state of West Virginia.
Nick Rahall | |
|---|---|
| Ranking Member of the House Transportation Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | John Mica |
| Succeeded by | Peter DeFazio |
| Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Pombo |
| Succeeded by | Doc Hastings |
| Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | George Miller |
| Succeeded by | Don Young |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Ken Hechler |
| Succeeded by | Evan Jenkins |
| Constituency | 4th district (1977–1993) 3rd district (1993–2015) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicholas Joseph Rahall II May 20, 1949 Beckley, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Melinda Rahall (Second wife) |
| Education | Duke University (BA) George Washington University |
He began his political service in the early 1970s working in the cloak room of the U.S. Senate, as a staff member in the Senate Office of the Majority Whip from 1971–1974, and as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1972 and 1976. He was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 to represent the now-defunct 4th congressional district. He became the representative for the 3rd congressional district when reapportionment was completed following the 1990 census. He was re-elected for nineteen terms, serving from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 2015.
His district included the southern, coal-dominated portion of the state, including Huntington, Bluefield, and Beckley. Rahall was the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Rahall lost re-election in 2014 to Evan Jenkins. As of 2024, he is the last Democrat to have represented West Virginia in the House of Representatives.