In This Story
The halls of Congress are filled with career politicians, lawyers, and policy experts, but U.S. Rep. Riley M. Moore (R), BA Government and International Politics ‘05, the newly elected congressman from West Virginia, brings something different to the table: experience with a welding torch and a deep-seated commitment to public service that he discovered as a student at George Mason University.
Moore is the third George Mason alumnus to be elected to Congress. U.S. Rep. David Jolly (R-FL), JD ‘01, was the first, serving from 2014 to 2017. He has since retired. Following Jolly was U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) who graduated with a degree in government and international politics. He held office from 2019 to his death in February 2022.
Moore’s journey, from working in Herndon, Virginia, machine shops as a college student to walking the corridors of power on Capitol Hill as an elected official, is an inspiring one.
Fresh off his first few months in office, the congressman sat down for an interview in his Longworth House Office Building office, reflecting on his path from trade school to politics.
“I’ve worked here before,” he said, referencing his time as a congressional staffer. “But it’s a little different when you’re wearing this [Congressional lapel] pin and casting votes than recommending to somebody how they might want to think about voting.”
Moore’s story starts in Virginia, where he graduated from high school before heading to George Mason.
“I wanted to do something different,” he recalled, explaining his decision to forgo West Virginia University, where many of his family members had studied. “I wanted to be close to the Washington, D.C., metro area.”
His academic journey wasn’t straightforward—he had already gone through trade school and spent time working as a welder, a job that helped shape his understanding of skilled labor and industry. His major at that time was a vague idea of “computer science or something like that,” he said. “I was a welder, so I’m looking for an applied skill and was thinking computers.”
Then came 9/11.
“I was at George Mason that day,” he said, recounting the moment that changed the trajectory of his career. “I didn’t think a lot of Americans really understood how this happened, why this happened, who these people were,” including himself.
Soon Moore found himself obsessed with all the details surrounding the tragic event and changed his major to government and international politics.
His passion for politics was deeply influenced by some of the finest educators in the Schar School of Policy and Government. Among them, one professor who left a lasting impression is Mark N. Katz, now a professor emeritus.
“I still have one of his books on my shelf,” Moore said.
Katz recalls Moore “as an active and effective contributor to classroom discussion,” he said. “I am not surprised that he went on to a successful political career.”
Public service, it seems, runs in Moore’s blood. His grandfather was the governor of West Virginia, though he was too young to fully grasp the significance at the time. “He stopped being governor when I was eight years old,” he said. “To me, he was just my grandpa in a big house.” His aunt, Shelly Moore Capito (R), is the senior U.S. Senator from West Virginia.
But his family influence wasn’t solely political as his other relatives were union laborers, a connection that led him to welding, a trade he continued as a student at George Mason.
“We were building torpedo clamps and all kinds of different things,” he said, adding that the hands-on experience helped him bring a unique perspective to the legislative process.
After graduating from George Mason, he interned on Capitol Hill while bartending at night, eventually securing a job in public service. He worked on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spent time in the defense industry, and, despite never expecting to run for office, took the plunge.
“I ran for the [West Virginia] House of Delegates and won by a hundred votes,” he said. “Then I ran for state treasurer and won that. And now I’m here.”
As a newly minted congressman, he acknowledges there is hard work ahead, but he remains optimistic. “So far, so good. I’m loving it.”