Editing Nick Rahall (section)

===Elections===
;1970s–90s
[[File:Nick Rahall 1977 congressional photo.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Rahall during his first term in Congress]]
Rahall was elected to Congress in 1976 in the 4th district, succeeding [[Ken Hechler]] who ran for [[governor of West Virginia|governor]]. Rahall won the district primary with a plurality of 38%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=403634|title= WV District 4 – D Primary Race – May 11, 1976|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref> Hechler lost the primary for governor, and attempted a write-in campaign for the congressional seat. Rahall won the general election with 46% of the vote, while Hechler got 37%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=31677|title=WV District 4 Race|date=November 2, 1976|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:President_Bush_Signs_the_Magnuson-Stevens_Fishery_Conservation_and_Management_Reauthorization_Act_of_2006.jpg|thumb|left|Rahall watching [[President (government title)|President]] [[George W. Bush]] prepare to the sign the [[Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act]] Re-authorization act on January 12, 2007.]]

In 1978, Hechler challenged Rahall in the Democratic primary, and Rahall won with 56% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=59888|title= WV District 4 – D Primary Race|date=May 9, 1978|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref> He was re-elected 17 times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=1937|title=Candidate – Nick Joe Rahall II|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref> Hechler later became the [[West Virginia Secretary of State]], and ran against Rahall in the primary in 1990. Rahall defeated him, receiving 57% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=375887|title=WV District 4 – D Primary Race|date=May 8, 1990|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

In 1990, Rahall defeated Republican insurance agent Marianne Brewster with just 52% of the vote, the second-lowest winning percentage of his career.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/56031910.html?dids=56031910:56031910&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+08%2C+1990&author=&pub=USA+TODAY+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Final+election+results%3A+Pennsylvania+through+Wyoming+%28including+U.S.+territories%29&pqatl=google | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713201817/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/56031910.html?dids=56031910:56031910&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+08,+1990&author=&pub=USA+TODAY+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Final+election+results:+Pennsylvania+through+Wyoming+(including+U.S.+territories)&pqatl=google | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 13, 2012 | work=USA TODAY | title=Final election results: Pennsylvania through Wyoming (including U.S. territories) | date=November 8, 1990 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=34764|title= WV District 4 Race – Nov 6, 1990|publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date= October 2, 2014}}</ref> The district was redrawn after the [[1990 United States census|1990 census]], becoming the 3rd district, due to changes to the state's population.
{{clear|left}}
;2010
{{See also|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia#District 3}}

In 2010, he defeated Republican former State Supreme Court Justice [[Spike Maynard]] with 56% of the vote, his lowest percentage since 1990.<ref name="2010elected">{{cite news|title=Rahall is elected to 18th straight term in Congress|first=Jim|last=Workman|newspaper=The Register-Herald|date=November 3, 2010|url=http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x104125545/Rahall-is-elected-to-18th-straight-term-in-Congress|access-date=November 4, 2010|location=Beckley, WV}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_43/Snuffer-Moves-Toward-Bid-for-Rahall-Seat-209552-1.html?pos=hln|title=Snuffer Moves Toward Bid for Rahall Seat|author=Joshua Miller|date=October 18, 2011|work=Roll Call|access-date=October 2, 2014|archive-date=March 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303044045/http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_43/Snuffer-Moves-Toward-Bid-for-Rahall-Seat-209552-1.html?pos=hln|url-status=dead}}</ref>

;2012
{{See also|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia#District 3}}
In the 2012 election, Rahall defeated Republican [[Rick Snuffer]] with 53.5% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Virginia Congressional District 3 election results|url=http://elections.nbcnews.com/ns/politics/2012/west-virginia/house/3/|work=Decision 2012|date=December 2, 2011 |publisher=NBC News|access-date=May 23, 2014}}</ref> His eight-point margin of victory was his narrowest since 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/195879-west-virginia-veteran-to-run-for-house-seat/|title=Manchin's State of Union guest to challenge Rep. Nick Rahall|date=January 18, 2014|author= Justin Sink|work=The Hill|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

;2014
{{See also|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia#District 3}}

In 2014, Rahall faced a primary challenge from fellow Democrat and retired Army officer [[Richard Ojeda]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mooney-wins-crowded-gop-house-primary-capito-tennant-to-face-off-in-w-va-senate-race|title=Mooney wins crowded GOP House primary; Capito, Tennant to face off in W.Va. Senate race|work=Fox News|date= May 13, 2014|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref> Rahall won the primary with 66.4% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvillustrated.com/story/25508919/rahall-jenkins-set-to-face-off-in-3rd-district-congressional-race|title=Rahall, Jenkins set to face off in 3rd District Congressional Race |author=Jim Workman|date=May 13, 2014|publisher=West Virginia Illustrated|access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

He faced Republican State Senator [[Evan Jenkins (politician)|Evan Jenkins]] in the November general election.<ref name=results/> Jenkins had served in the state legislature for 20 years as a Democrat, but had switched parties. Jenkins and Rahall had contributed to each other's campaigns in the decade's previous election cycles.<ref name="Contributions">{{cite news|url=http://www.charlestondailymail.com/News/statenews/201307290182|title=Nick Rahall, Evan Jenkins contributed to each other's campaigns|work=[[Charleston Daily Mail]]|date=July 30, 2013|access-date=October 6, 2014|author=Boucher, Dave|archive-date=October 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009132541/http://www.charlestondailymail.com/News/statenews/201307290182|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Rahall was considered one of the most "endangered" House Democrats by the House Democratic campaign committee.<ref name="results"/><ref name=retire/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://atr.rollcall.com/nick-rahall-political-survival-west-virginia-2014|title=Nick Rahall Bets Political Survival on Local Brand|work=At the Races; Roll Call|author=Abby Livingston|date=July 9, 2014|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-date=October 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003185121/http://atr.rollcall.com/nick-rahall-political-survival-west-virginia-2014/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He received an endorsement from the NRA.<ref name=nra>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140918/dm01/140919211|title=NRA endorses Nick Rahall for Congress|publisher=Charleston Daily Mail|date=September 18, 2014|access-date=October 3, 2014}}</ref>

As of September 18, 2014, the race was rated a "toss up" by both University of Virginia political professor [[Larry Sabato]], of [[Sabato's Crystal Ball]], and [[Stu Rothenberg]] of the Rothenberg Political Report.<ref name=nra/> As of October 2, managing editor Kyle Kondik of Sabato's Crystal Ball said the race was still a toss-up, calling it "Super close, super expensive and super nasty."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wvmetronews.com/2014/10/02/looking-into-the-crystal-ball/|title= Looking into the Crystal Ball|publisher=West Virginia Metro News|date=October 2, 2014|access-date=October 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.com/ratings/house|title=House Ratings|publisher= The Rothenberg Political Report|access-date=October 3, 2014}}</ref>  The Rahall campaign outspent the Jenkins campaign in the election by a two-to-one ratio.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/midterm-elections-2014-live-updates/story?id=26570502|title=Republicans Projected To Seize Control Of The Senate: 2014 Midterm Elections Results Live|author=ABC News|work=ABC News}}</ref>

Ultimately, Rahall was defeated, with 44.7% of the vote to Jenkins' 55.3% of the vote. In the process, he lost a number of areas that had reliably supported him for years.<ref name="thehill.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/222908-rahall-loses-house-seat-in-west-virginia/|title=Dem Rahall loses House seat after 38 years|author=Timothy Cama|work=TheHill|date=November 5, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2014/west-virginia-elections|title=West Virginia Election Results|work=The New York Times }}</ref>

Having served 19 terms in the House, the 65-year-old Rahall qualified for a [[Congressional pension]] of about $139,000 a year.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://money.cnn.com/2014/11/05/retirement/congressional-pensions |title= Fat pensions for outgoing lawmakers | first= Chris |last=Isidore |work= [[CNNMoney]] | date= November 6, 2014 | access-date= November 6, 2014}}</ref>