Nick Rahall

Nick Rahall

Democratic Party

Prior offices

U.S. House West Virginia District 3

Successor: Evan Jenkins

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Compensation

Net worth

$2,776,087.50

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2014

Education

High school

Woodrow Wilson High School, W.Va.

Bachelor's

Duke University

Nick Joe Rahall II (b. May 20, 1949, in Beckley, W.Va.) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia. He was first elected to the House in 1976 to represent West Virginia's 4th Congressional District. When the 4th District was eliminated in 1992, Rahall ran for and won election to West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District seat.

Biography

Rahall graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in W.Va. He then earned his bachelor's degree from Duke University, and he began working for Sen. Robert Byrd after graduating. Rahall then went into business and launched his own political career.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Rahall's political career:

• 1977-2015: Member of the United States House of Representatives
  • 1993-2015: Representative of West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District
  • 1977-1993: Representative of West Virginia's 4th Congressional District

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2013-2014

Rahall served on the following committees:

• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Ranking member

2011-2012

Rahall served on the following House committees:

• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Ranking member
  • Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Key votes

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Rahall's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.

National security

NDAA

Rahall voted for HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.

DHS Appropriations

Rahall voted for HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 that was largely along party lines.

Keystone Pipeline Amendment

Rahall voted for House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.

CISPA (2013)

Rahall voted for HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans but divided the Democratic Party.

Economy

Farm Bill

See also: United States Farm Bill 2013

Rahall voted against the Farm Bill on July 11, 2013. The bill passed in a 216-208 vote. The bill passed included farm policy, but it did not include food stamps.

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Rahall voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.

The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Rahall voted for HR 2775.

Immigration

King Amendment

In June 2013, the House approved an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security spending bill that would end the department's discretion policies by cutting off funding for the proposed DREAM Act, which would have temporarily halted the deportations of young immigrants if they had served in the military or were attending college. This vote overturned an executive order signed by President Obama that formalized a process for the "Dreamers" to remain in the U.S.

The amendment, offered by Rep. Steve King (R) of Iowa, passed the House by a vote of 224-201 and was approved mostly along party lines. However, three Democrats supported the amendment and six Republicans opposed it, while nine members did not vote.Rahall was one of the three Democratic members who voted in favor of the amendment.

The amendment would effectively demand the government force out "Dreamers" who came to the U.S. as children. It contrasted with comprehensive immigration reform efforts, including proposed DREAM Act style legislation, and would resume the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children. The amendment was the first immigration-related vote in either chamber of Congress in 2013, and it blocked many of the provisions that were mirrored in the Senate’s Gang of Eight bill.

Healthcare

Healthcare Reform Rules

Rahall voted against House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires that all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines.

Social issues

House vote on abortion ban

On June 18, 2013, the House voted 228-196 on HR1797, mostly along party lines, to approve a ban on abortions occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy. A number of members crossed over party lines in their votes. The vote was largely symbolic, as the Senate was not expected to take up the bill, and the White House threatened to veto the legislation. Rahall was one of six Democratic members who voted in favor of the ban.

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal cliff

Rahall voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003, while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 172 Democrats who voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Campaign themes

2014

Rahall’s website highlighted the following campaign themes:

“	COAL Protecting coal miners, their jobs, their families and their safety has always been a top priority for me and will continue to be. I will continue to oppose the President and EPA when they propose laws and regulations that will hurt West Virginia and cost us coal industry jobs. And, I will continue my longtime fight to promote mine safety and ensure that retired miners receive the full pension and benefits they were promised. JOBS I will continue my fight to create new, high-paying jobs and preserve the ones we have. As the ranking Member on the Transportation Committee, I will keep pushing to bring needed highway and interstate improvements, along with the jobs they create, to our state. We will keep working to improve the job creation environment for small businesses and help industry and our universities work together to bring hi-tech jobs to West Virginia, as well as doing all we can to continue to build West Virginia’s reputation as one of America’s top destinations for outdoor recreation and tourism. BUY AMERICAN My efforts to promote products “Made in America” and “Made in West Virginia” will continue. I support tax incentives for companies that create American jobs and oppose tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas. HEALTHCARE I have always believed that quality healthcare must be accessible, affordable, and available for every West Virginian. Let's fix portions of the new healthcare law that need to be corrected while ensuring that Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions or place arbitrary financial caps on the amount of coverage patients can receive. And, as I voted to do, let's allow patients to be able to keep their existing plans. SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE Nothing is more important than our nation’s commitment to seniors. Social Security and Medicare benefits have been earned. They are not give-away programs. I will continue to steadfastly oppose anyone in Congress who tries to raise the retirement age, slash Social Security benefits, phase out Medicare or turn it into a voucher program that will mean higher out-of-pocket costs for seniors. MILITARY AND VETERANS I believe in maintaining a strong military. I also believe that we must provide proper training, pay and benefits to members of the military. In addition, it is critical that we honor our long-standing commitment to our veterans.	”
—Nick Rahall, http://web.archive.org/web/20140415210847/http://www.nickrahall.com/issues

Earmarks

A Washington Post investigation in February 2012 revealed that 33 members of Congress helped direct more than $300 million in earmarks to public projects in close proximity to commercial and residential real estate owned by the lawmakers or their family members. According to the report, Rahall helped secure $20 million toward a parking garage with a bus and taxi facility in downtown Beckley. The project was about a half-mile from his son's home, less than one mile from a commercial property owned by the lawmaker and a little more than a mile from his residence.

Elections

2014

See also: West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District was one of Ballotpedia's U.S. House battleground districts in 2014 because of incumbent Nick Rahall's vulnerability as a Democrat serving in a Republican district. Fairvote projections showed the district as only slightly favoring Democrats, but Cook PVI showed the district as heavily favoring Republicans. In addition, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the district by 26.8 percentage points in 2012, and Sen. John McCain won the district by 13.4 percentage points in 2008. The race was rated a "Tossup" contest by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.

Rahall defeated Richard Ojeda in the Democratic primary on May 13, 2014. Rahall was defeated by West Virginia state Senator Evan Jenkins (R), a former Democrat, who switched parties in July 2013 to challenge Rahall, in the general election.

Election results

General election

U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Nick Rahall Incumbent	44.6%	62,688
	Republican	Evan Jenkins	55.4%	77,713
Total Votes				140,401
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

Democratic primary results

U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Nick Rahall Incumbent	66.5%	37,176
Richard Ojeda	33.5%	18,767
Total Votes		55,943
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State

Race background

NRCC early target

Rahall was one of seven early targets listed by the National Republican Congressional Committee in the 2014 congressional elections. The seven targets aligned perfectly with the seven most Republican districts held by Democrats, according to FairVote's partisanship index. Rahall's district was ranked as the third most Republican (40% D).

DCCC "Frontline Program"

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added Rahall to its Frontline Program in March 2014. The Frontline Program was a partnership between the DCCC and members of Congress designed to protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents. Members of the program were required to sign a memorandum that required them to meet aggressive fundraising goals, accelerate volunteer and recruitment efforts and increase their online networking.

Rahall retirement rumors

On April 6, 2014, on CNN's Inside Politics, host John King said that Rahall was "about to retire a couple of weeks ago. And the leadership convinced him not to do that." In an interview with LoganBanner.com, Rahall called King's comments "completely false." He added, “I gave absolutely no consideration to withdrawing from this race. The Democrat Party has always intended to support me and they and the voters will do just that. I would not give up this seat, which belongs to the people, without a fight.”

Power plant regulations

As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepared to release new power plant CO2 regulations in September 2013, Rahall faced pressure from his 2014 opponent, Evan Jenkins. In July 2013, Rahall appeared at an EPA ceremony to rename the organization's headquarters. He insisted that his appearance was to afford him time to speak with Gina McCarthy, EPA administrator, but Jenkins claimed it was a "public show of meeting with the EPA."

Endorsements

Rahall was endorsed by the following:

• AFL-CIO
• American Federation of Teachers
• Alliance for Retired Americans
• Charleston Gazette
• National Education Association
• National Rifle Association
• United Mine Workers of America

Polls

Rahall v. Jenkins
Poll	Nick Rahall	Evan Jenkins	Not Sure	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Harper Polling October 7-8, 2014	44%	50%	6%	+/-3.82	657
Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group May 26-28, 2014	52%	39%	9%	+/-5	403
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]

Potential general election match-up
Poll	Nick Rahall (D)	Evan Jenkins (R)	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
DMF Research April 22-27, 2014	48%	39%	13%	+/-5.2	400
Garin-Hart-Yang Research April 15-16, 2014	52%	40%	8%	+/-5.0	400
Tarrance Group March 3-5, 2014	40%	54%	6%	+/-4.9	405
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]

Sabato's Crystal Ball

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, changed West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District from “Toss-Up” to “Leans Republican” in April 2014. Kondik listed the following reasons for the change: the Tarrance Group poll above, the false rumor that Rahall considered retiring, "the overwhelming support voters gave to Mitt Romney in 2012" in the third district and Rahall's inability to separate himself from Obama, who wa largely unpopular in the district.

Media

"Worry," an ad released by House Majority PAC on March 11, 2014, featured a West Virginia coal-mining family warning "we both could get hurt" if Evan Jenkins, wins the race. The ad claimed that Jenkins “vowed to repeal black lung benefits” and “supports letting insurance companies charge women more for healthcare.” FactCheck.org called the claims "bogus" explaining that, although Jenkins has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act, doing so would not repeal the Federal Black Lung Benefits Program. Jenkins supported repealing and replacing the ACA, but he did not explain how he would replace it. According to Jenkins’ website, "he is firmly opposed to any cuts to the Federal Black Lung Benefit Program." Jenkins’ campaign also explained that he "would support a replacement bill that prohibits gender-based ratings when setting premiums." “The fight comes down to who would better protect the expanded black lung protections that the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., added to the Affordable Care Act,” according to WVGazette.com.

Jenkins responded to "Worry" by releasing his first ad, "Backbone," which attacked Rahall and House Majority PAC for their false claims in the "Worry" ad. After citing Factcheck.org's argument that the claims made by Rahall and HMP were "bogus," the narrator said, "Nick Rahall, a lying politician, just like Obama."

"Worry," and "Backbone" set the tone for the negative ads that West Virginians were bombarded with during the 2014 election season. Attacking "New York billionaires" for telling lies about Rahall's record was the major theme that ran through the pro-Rahall ads. Rahall and House Majority PAC released ads defending Rahall's record on coal and portraying Jenkins as an "outsider" tied to New York money in comparison with Rahall, a native West Virginian. Protecting coal, highlighting how Obamacare hurt West Virginians and making the argument that Rahall hurt the coal industry were the major themes of the pro-Jenkins ads. Jenkins received help from Americans for Prosperity, the American Energy Alliance and the National Republican Congressional Committee who released ads in support of Jenkins.

"Worry” & "Backbone"

House Majority PAC's March 2014 ad, "Evan Jenkins - Worry."

"Evan Jenkins: Backbone."

Rahall

Rahall's April 2014 ad, "Cecil 30."

Rahall's May 2014 ad, "My Home."

Rahall's June 2014 ad, "Bipartisan."

• In April 2014, Rahall launched an ad featuring Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers Association. In the ad, Roberts accused "billionaires of telling lies about Rahall.”

• In May and June 2014, Rahall released the ads, "My Home" and "Bipartisan." Each ad chastised "New York billionaires" for telling lies about Rahall's voting record.

Rahall's July 2014 ad, "West Virginians."

Rahall's September 2014 ad, "Ron and Libby."

Rahall's September 2014 ad, "Jackie."

• Rahall's July 2014 ad once again tied Evan Jenkins to "New York billionaires" and highlighted Jenkins' vote against raising the minimum wage in West Virginia. The narrator said, "Nick Rahall believes that anyone willing to work hard should be paid a decent wage, and that Medicare should never be privatized." The ad failed to acknowledge that Jenkins initially voted for raising the minimum wage on March 7, 2014. Jenkins then voted against a revised version of the bill. On May 21, 2014, Jenkins voted for the final revision of the bill to raise the minimum wage, which Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed into law.

• Rahall's September 2014 ad, "Ron and Libby," featured coal miner Ron Pauley. Pauley said, "We have a saying in the mines, whose side are you on? We know Nick Joe Rahall is on our side. But Evan Jenkins can’t be trusted. He’s not on the side of the coal miners. He’s on the side of the billionaires.”

• Rahall's September 2014 ad, "Jackie," accused Evan Jenkins of vowing to take away federal black lung benefits from coal miners. FactCheck.org, wrote that the ad "distorts the facts and misrepresents Jenkins’ position on black lung benefits."

Rahall's September 2014 ad, "Our Way."

Rahall's September 2014 ad, "Preserve."

Rahall's September 2014 ad, "Straightshooter."

• In "Our Way," Rahall promised to protect coal and once again tied Jenkins to "billionaires."

• In "Preserve," Rahall highlighted his support for the 2nd Amendment.

• In "Straightshooter," Sen. Joe Manchin argued that Rahall should be re-elected to Congress.

"Listens" lies

Rahall's June 2014 ad "Listens," attacked Evan Jenkins' stance on Medicare. The ad received “Four Pinocchios” from the Washington Post for misusing a Jenkins' quote and for suggesting that Jenkins wants to raise Medicare premiums on senior citizens. Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post wrote, “It’s really time for Democrats to drop these repeated 'Mediscare' references to a supposed $6,000 increase in premiums. It is so out of date as to be laughable. But even without that claim, the use of Jenkins’ quote about Medicaid to make broad charges about Medicare is a ridiculous and misleading mix-up of policies. The Rahall campaign should be ashamed of this ad.”

"Listens"

Rahall's June 2014 ad, "Listens."

House Majority PAC

See also: House Majority PAC

House Majority PAC's December 2013 ad, "Cannot Change."

House Majority PAC's March 2014 ad, "Nick Rahall - Stick."

House Majority PAC's April 2014 ad, "WV-03: Evan Jenkins - Spill."

• House Majority PAC as of July 2014 has spent more in West Virginia's 3rd congressional district election than in any other 2014 race.

• House Majority PAC launched an ad buy on December 10, 2013, for Nick Rahall (D). The ad ran throughout southern West Virginia for ten days and cost approximately $150,000. “Right-wing, Koch Brothers-funded groups are spending big to prop up a two-time party-switcher, but Mountaineers know Nick Rahall is a fighter for southern West Virginia,” said Andy Stone, communications director for House Majority PAC.

• House Majority PAC released another $65,000 ad buy in March 2014 defending Rahall's record on coal. In the ad, a man identified as retired coal miner Rick Ryan attacked “New York billionaires” for paying for attack ads against Rahall. “Nick Rahall isn’t against coal. He saved my job and 500 others when he stopped Washington from closing the Hobet Mine...Those billionaires want you to vote for Evan Jenkins, a man the Gazette called a ‘shill’ for insurance companies,” Ryan said in the ad.

• House Majority PAC released a $65,000 ad buy in April 2014. "Spill" accused Jenkins of delaying a water safety bill. The ad also tied Jenkins to the Koch bothers.

House Majority PAC's April 2014 ad, "WV-03: Evan Jenkins - 'Counting'."

House Majority PAC, "WV-03: Evan Jenkins - 'Crystal Ball'."

• House Majority PAC's ads "Counting" and "Crystal Ball" both tied Jenkins to "New York billionaires" once again. Each ad noted that outside groups donated more than $1 million dollars to Jenkins' campaign.

Jenkins

Evan Jenkins' June 2014 ad, "Exist."

Evan Jenkins' August 2014 ad, "Parked."

Evan Jenkins' October 2014 ad, "Bribes."

• In the ad "Exist," Jenkins promised West Virginians that he will fight Obama's attacks on the coal industry, if he is elected.

• In the ad, "Parked," Jenkins argued that Rahall has been "parked" in Congress and has not done much to help West Virginians.

• Jenkins' ad, "Bribes," accused Rahall of "killing coal" and "taking bribes."

Evan Jenkins' October 2014 ad, "Punishing."

• In the ad, "Punishing," Jenkins attacked Rahall's record on the carbon tax and medicare.

Americans for Prosperity

See also: Americans for Prosperity

Americans for Prosperity's February 2014 ad, "Tell Rep. Rahall to Stop Obamacare."

Americans for Prosperity's ad, "Your Plan Has Been Cancelled."

Americans for Prosperity's April 2014 ad, "Christina's Story: End Rahall's War on Coal."

• On February 10, 2014, Americans for Prosperity released a $30,000 radio ad that attacked incumbent Nick Rahall for supporting Obamacare.

• In the Americans for Prosperity ad, "Your Plan Has Been Cancelled," the group, once again, criticized Rahall for supporting Obamacare.

• Americans for Prosperity released an April 2014 ad titled, "Christina's Story: End Rahall's War on Coal." In the ad, Christina, the wife of a coal miner who lost his job, said, "Nick Rahall let coal mining families down."

American Energy Alliance

American Energy Alliance's April 2014 ad, "Killing Coal."

American Energy Alliance's June 2014 ad, "Rahall Not Doing Enough."

• The American Energy Alliance released the TV ad, "Killing Coal," which tied Nick Rahall to "anti-coal extremists." The ad was released on April 1, 2014, and the campaign was backed by a $113,000 buy.

• The American Energy Alliance released the ad, "Rahall Not Doing Enough," in July 2014. The ad tied Rahall to Obama's energy policies that have hurt West Virginia's coal industry.

NRCC

NRCC's August 2013 ad, "Nick Rahall's Betrayal."

NRCC's September 2014 ad, "Rahall's Record (60)."

• The National Republican Congressional Committee released an ad in August 2013 that highlighted how Rahall betrayed West Virginians by becoming loyal to Washington D.C., voting for a carbon tax that hurt the coal industry and by attending an event where "environmentalists praised Obama's War on Coal." The ad concluded by directing viewers to the website Rahall for Congress. The site makes the argument that Rahall has joined the "War on Coal."

• The National Republican Congressional Committee released an ad in September 2014 featuring coal miner Joe McCormick. McCormick said, "When Nick Rahall votes with Barack Obama, that tells me that Nick Rahall don’t really care about Southern West Virginia. He don’t care about us coal miners."

Freedom Partners

Freedom Partners Action Fund's September 2014 ad, "Lifeblood."

Freedom Partners Action Fund's October 2014 ad, "FPAF - Coal Miners."

Counter PAC

CounterPAC: "Who's Pulling Nick Rahall's Strings?"

2012

See also: West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012

Rahall won re-election in 2012. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary. In the November 6, 2012, general election, he defeated Republican Rick Snuffer.

U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Nick Rahall Incumbent	53.5%	102,519
	Republican	Rick Snuffer	46.5%	88,999
Total Votes				191,518
Source: West Virginia Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Endorsements

Heading into the primary, Rahall was endorsed by the West Virginia AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education.

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Nick Rahall, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Elliott E. "Spike" Maynard (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 56% 83,636      Republican Elliott E. "Spike" Maynard" 44% 65,611 Total Votes 149,247 2008 On November 4, 2008, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Marty Gearheart (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 66.9% 133,522      Republican Marty Gearheart 33.1% 66,005 Total Votes 199,527 2006 On November 7, 2006, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Kim Wolfe (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 69.4% 92,413      Republican Kim Wolfe 30.6% 40,820 Total Votes 133,233 2004 On November 2, 2004, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Rick Snuffer (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 65.2% 142,682      Republican Rick Snuffer 34.8% 76,170 Total Votes 218,852 2002 On November 5, 2002, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Paul E. Chapman (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 70.2% 87,783      Republican Paul E. Chapman 29.8% 37,229 Total Votes 125,012 2000 On November 7, 2000, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeff Robinson (L) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 91.3% 146,807      Libertarian Jeff Robinson 8.7% 13,979 Total Votes 160,786 1998 On November 3, 1998, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Joe Whelan (L) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 86.6% 78,814      Libertarian Joe Whelan 13.4% 12,196 Total Votes 91,010 1996 On November 5, 1996, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He ran unopposed in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 1996 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 100% 145,550 Total Votes 145,550 1994 On November 8, 1994, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Ben Waldman (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 1994 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 63.9% 74,967      Republican Ben Waldman 36.1% 42,382 Total Votes 117,349 1992 On November 3, 1992, Nick Rahall won election to the United States House. He defeated Ben Waldman (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 3 General Election, 1992 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 65.6% 122,279      Republican Ben Waldman 34.4% 64,012 Total Votes 186,291 1990 On November 6, 1990, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Marianne R. Brewster (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1990 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 52% 39,948      Republican Marianne R. Brewster 48% 36,946 Total Votes 76,894 1988 On November 8, 1988, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Marianne Brewster (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1988 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 61.3% 78,812      Republican Marianne Brewster 38.7% 49,753 Total Votes 128,565 1986 On November 4, 1986, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Martin Miller, Sr. (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1986 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 71.3% 58,217      Republican Martin Miller, Sr. 28.7% 23,490 Total Votes 81,707 1984 On November 6, 1984, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jess T. Shumate (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1984 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 66.7% 98,919      Republican Jess T. Shumate 33.3% 49,474 Total Votes 148,393 1982 On November 2, 1982, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Homer L. Harris (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1982 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 80.5% 91,184      Republican Homer L. Harris 19.5% 22,054 Total Votes 113,238 1980 On November 4, 1980, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Winton Guy Covey, Jr. (R) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1980 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 76.6% 117,595      Republican Winton Guy Covey, Jr. 23.4% 36,020 Total Votes 153,615 1978 On November 7, 1978, Nick Rahall won re-election to the United States House. He ran unopposed in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1978 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall incumbent 100% 70,035 Total Votes 70,035 1976 On November 2, 1976, Nick Rahall won election to the United States House. He defeated E.S. (Steve) Goodman (R) and Ken Hechler (Write-in) in the general election. U.S. House, West Virginia District 4 General Election, 1976 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Nick Rahall 45.6% 73,626      Republican E.S. (Steve) Goodman 17.8% 28,825      Write-in Ken Hechler 36.6% 59,067 Total Votes 161,518

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Nick Rahall campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2012	U.S. House (West Virginia, District 3)	Won	$1,359,430	N/A**
Grand total			$1,359,430	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Rahall's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $2,220,593 to $3,331,582. That averages to $2,776,087.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic House members in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Rahall ranked as the 117th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Rahall's calculated net worth decreased by an average of 6 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Nick Rahall Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$5,217,315
2012	$2,776,087
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	−47%
Average annual growth:	−6%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Rahall received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Transportation Unions industry. Comparatively, the top industry employer in West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District was Educational services, and health care and social assistance, according to a 2012 U.S. Census survey.

From 1989-2014, 24.82 percent of Rahall's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Nick Rahall Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$10,046,266
Total Spent	$9,303,659
Top industry in the district	Educational services, and health care and social assistance
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Transportation Unions	$863,550
Air Transport	$462,507
Lawyers/Law Firms	$415,019
Public Sector Unions	$378,825
Industrial Unions	$373,750
% total in top industry	8.6%
% total in top two industries	13.2%
% total in top five industries	24.82%

Analysis

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she voted most and least often. The results included a member from each party.

Rahall most often voted with:

• Henry Cuellar
• Chris Gibson

Rahall least often voted with:

• Mark Pocan
• Justin Amash

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Rahall was a "centrist Democrat," as of July 21, 2014. This was the same rating Rahall received in June 2013.

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Rahall missed 755 of 22,606 roll call votes from January 1977 to July 2014. This amounted to 3.3 percent, which was worse than the median of 2.5 percent among congressional representatives as of July 2014.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Rahall paid his congressional staff a total of $1,134,011 in 2011. Overall, West Virginia ranked 33rd in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

Staff bonuses

According to an analysis by CNN, Rahall was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. Rahall's staff was given an apparent $14,500.00 in bonus money.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Rahall ranked 192nd in the liberal rankings in 2013.

2012

Rahall ranked 151st in the liberal rankings in 2012.

2011

Rahall was one of two members of congress who ranked 174th in the liberal rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Rahall voted with the Democratic Party 79.5 percent of the time, which ranked 187th among the 204 House Democratic members as of July 2014.

2013

Rahall voted with the Democratic Party 93.5 percent of the time, which ranked 191st among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Rahall and his wife, Melinda, have three children and three grandchildren.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Nick + Rahall + West + Virginia + Congress"

Nick Rahall News Feed

See also

• West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District
• West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012
• West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

External links

• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Roll Call
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Legislation:
  • Congress.gov
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Works by or about:
  • WorldCat
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
  • IMDb
• Media coverage:
  • Washington Post

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bob Wise	U.S. House of Representatives - West Virginia, 3rd District 1993-2015	Succeeded by Evan Jenkins
Preceded by Ken Hechler	U.S. House of Representatives - West Virginia, 4th District 1977-1993	Succeeded by District 4 eliminated