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Angela Rigas

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Angela Rigas
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 79th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
Preceded byPauline Wendzel (redistricting)
Personal details
BornHastings, Michigan
Political partyRepublican
Alma materHastings High School

Angela Rigas is an American politician from Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in the 2022 election from the 79th district, and took office in 2023.[1] After the 2020 presidential election, Rigas denied the election result and took part in the rally that preceded the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.[2]

Early political involvement and January 6 attack

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Rigas, a salon owner, defied stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan. In May 2020, she was one of seven barbers cited for disorderly conduct for their participation in the "Operation Haircut" protest, in which they refused to stop offering free haircuts on the lawn outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.[3][4] The charges against the seven were ultimately dismissed.[4] Rigas also espoused anti-vaccine misinformation.[2]

On January 6, 2021, Rigas participated in the Washington, D.C., rally that preceded the attack against the U.S. Capitol by an armed, far-right mob of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the seat of Congress.[2][5] In a January 6 Facebook post, Rigas denounced U.S. Capitol Police officers who responded to the riot, comparing them to Revolutionary-era British redcoats.[4] Rigas called the day "a highlight of my life"[5] and claimed that she had been tear-gassed while outside the Capitol.[2][6] Throughout 2021, Rigas promoted Trump's false claim that he was the real winner of the 2020 presidential election in Michigan, and she was among a number of election deniers who gained influence within the Michigan Republican Party.[7]

Michigan House of Representatives

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2022 election

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Further information: 2022 Michigan elections

In 2022, Rigas ran for the Michigan House of Representatives from the House District 79 in southwest Michigan.[4] The district encompasses the portion of Kent County that is south of M-6 and west of Alto, as well as a portion of Allegan and Barry counties.[8] Rigas was one of at least 13 January 6 attendees to run for office in 2022,[6] and one of ten 2022 Michigan candidates endorsed by Trump.[9]

She defeated two rivals in the August 2022 Republican primary election.[10] In the November 2022 general election, she faced Democratic nominee Kimberly Kennedy-Barrington, of Byron Center, a Navy veteran and small business owner.[8] Rigas won with 29,510 votes (65.77%), defeating Kennedy-Barrington, who took 15,360 votes (34.23%).[11] Statewide, however, Michigan Republicans suffered historic losses, with Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer winning a second turn and the Democrats winning majorities in both the state House and state Senate for the first time in forty years.[12] Days after the general election, Rigas, along with fellow Republicans Neil Friske and Steve Carra, formed the Grand New Party, a PAC that accused Michigan Republican leaders of being "too moderate" and called for a more aggressive strategy against Whitmer.[12]

Tenure

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Upon taking office in 2023, Rigas joined the newly declared Freedom Caucus, a far-right faction of eight Republican state representatives. New Speaker Joe Tate initially did not give a committee assignment to Rigas, as well as Mike Hoadley and Matt Maddock; later, the three were added to the House Committee on Housing; Rigas complained about her assignment.[13] In March 2023, Rigas was appointed to the executive board of the House Republican Campaign Committee.[2]

In 2023, Rigas denounced a package of gun bills introduced by Michigan Democrats, including the Michigan red flag law, safe storage law, and universal background checks.[14][15] In a floor speech, Rigas called the package an example of "tyrannical government";[15] at a rally against the bills, she said, "We will fight those until they're overturned."[14] She sponsored legislation to allow the concealed carrying of handguns without a permit and described Michigan as a "Democrat dictatorship."[16]

In June 2023, Rigas was one of a handful of representatives to vote against legislation to raise the minimum marriage age to 18. The bill passed on a 104–5, with four other Republicans (Carra, Friske, Maddock, and Josh Schriver) also voting no.[17]

In September 2023, Rigas was one of 11 Michigan Republicans who sued the state in federal court, contending that Michigan voter-approved initiatives that expanded voting access (specifically, Proposal 3 of 2018 and Proposal 2 of 2022, which expanded access to in-person early voting and mail-in voting) were illegal.[18] The federal district court dismissed the case in April 2024.[19]

Rigas has been variously described as a resident of Alto[20] or Caledonia.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Angela Rigas". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e Laina G. Stebbins, Democracy expert cites concerns after election denier tapped for House GOP campaign panel, Michigan Advance (March 1, 2023).
  3. ^ Eggert, Douglas (May 21, 2020). "Seven Barbers Ticketed For Cutting Hair". Newspapers.com. Detroit Free Press. p. A5. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  4. ^ a b c d Laina G. Stebbins, Jan. 6 protester says police union endorsed her for the Michigan House, Michigan Advance (September 23, 202).
  5. ^ a b Lahut, Jake (2023-12-28). "Dems Target GOP State Lawmakers With Jan. 6 Credentials". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  6. ^ a b Hutzler, Alexandra (2021-12-28). "These Candidates Who Were at Stop the Steal on 1/6 Are Running for Office". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  7. ^ Malachi Barrett, One year after Jan. 6 riot, Michigan election deniers hold more influence in Republican politics, MLive (January 6, 2022).
  8. ^ a b Audra Gamble, Two small business owners vying for West Michigan House seat, MLive (October 11, 2022).
  9. ^ Jordyn Hermani, Trump candidates for Michigan Legislature go 6-0. But they were never likely to lose., MLive (November 19, 2022).
  10. ^ 3 Republicans face off in Aug. 2 primary for state House’s 79th District, MLive (July 20, 2022).
  11. ^ 2022 Michigan Election Results, Michigan Secretary of State.
  12. ^ a b Mauger, Craig (November 14, 2022). "Michigan lawmaker launches 'Grand New Party' PAC, says GOP was 'too passive'". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  13. ^ Jon King, New GOP House members complain about committee assignments, Michigan Advance (January 14, 2023).
  14. ^ a b Nichols, Anna Liz (2023-10-07). "Michigan Republican legislators rally for gun rights". Michigan Advance. 'The Democrats have been able to ram through safe storage, universal background checks and red flag laws,' state Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) said. 'We will fight those until they're overturned'.
  15. ^ a b Joey Cappelletti, Gun bills coming in Michigan after 2nd school mass shooting, Associated Press (March 12, 2023).
  16. ^ Jordyn Hermani, If you can own a gun, you should be able to conceal it, say Michigan's GOP lawmakers, MLive (June 13, 2023).
  17. ^ Michigan Legislature votes to ban child marriage, WXMI (June 20, 2023).
  18. ^ Early voting, no-reason absentee is illegal, 11 Michigan Republicans contend, MLive (September 28, 2023).
  19. ^ a b Beth LeBlanc, Federal judge rejects GOP lawmakers' lawsuit challenging new voting rights in Michigan, The Detroit News (April 11, 2024).
  20. ^ Brian McVicar, Kent County Democrats win big in state House, lose one of two key Senate races, Mlive (November 13, 2022).

See also

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