Denver Riggleman

Denver Lee Riggleman III (born March 17, 1970) is an American businessman and former politician from Virginia who served as the United States representative for Virginia’s 5th congressional district from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party during his time in office, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in Congress, representing a large, predominantly rural district stretching from the outer suburbs of Washington, D.C., to the North Carolina border. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the latter half of the Trump administration and the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Riggleman grew up in a working-class family and spent part of his youth in Virginia, experiences that later informed his political emphasis on small business and national security. Before entering politics, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served as an enlisted airman and later as an officer. In the Air Force he worked in intelligence and electronic warfare, gaining experience that would later lead to work with the National Security Agency. After leaving active duty, he continued in defense-related roles as a contractor, focusing on intelligence and counterterrorism support, and developed a reputation as a specialist in data analysis and national security operations.

Following his military and intelligence career, Riggleman turned to entrepreneurship. In 2014 he and his family opened a craft distillery in Virginia, entering the then-emerging craft spirits industry. The business venture brought him into contact with state and local regulatory issues, and he became an advocate for reducing regulatory burdens on small producers. This experience, combined with his national security background, helped shape the policy themes that would later define his political campaigns.

Riggleman first sought statewide office as a Republican candidate for governor of Virginia in the 2017 election cycle. Running as a political outsider with a focus on economic growth and government reform, he entered the race for his party’s nomination but withdrew before the Republican convention, citing financial and organizational challenges. Although he did not secure the gubernatorial nomination, his brief campaign raised his profile within Virginia Republican circles and positioned him for a subsequent run for Congress.

In 2018, after Republican incumbent Tom Garrett announced he would not seek reelection in Virginia’s 5th congressional district, Riggleman sought and won the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives. He secured the nomination by defeating Cynthia Dunbar in the final round of party voting, after Dunbar had previously failed to win the Republican nomination in the neighboring 6th district. In the November 6, 2018, general election, Riggleman defeated Democratic nominee Leslie Cockburn with 53 percent of the vote to Cockburn’s 47 percent, and he took office on January 3, 2019.

During his term in the House of Representatives, Riggleman participated fully in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in the 5th district. Serving as a Republican, he aligned with his party on many economic and regulatory issues, emphasizing support for small business, rural development, and a strong national defense. At the same time, some of his positions and actions, particularly on social issues and aspects of fiscal and immigration policy, drew criticism from elements of his party’s base. His decision to officiate a same-sex wedding between two of his friends became a flashpoint; the Rappahannock County Republican Party publicly criticized him, and in September 2019 he was censured by party officials who claimed he had “abandoned party principles” over fiscal and immigration policy as well as the wedding.

In the lead-up to the 2020 election cycle, internal party tensions in the district intensified. On September 26, 2019, Campbell County Supervisor Bob Good, who also worked as an athletics official at Liberty University, announced that he would challenge Riggleman for the Republican nomination in the 5th district. Good accused Riggleman of “betraying” the trust of conservative voters and casting votes that were not in the best interest of the constituency. Riggleman, for his part, secured several key endorsements on the right, including from Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., underscoring divisions within local conservative leadership. The 5th Congressional District Republican Committee opted to select the 2020 nominee by a party convention rather than a primary election. On June 13, 2020, in a drive-through convention held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Good defeated Riggleman with 58 percent of the vote to Riggleman’s 42 percent. As a result, Riggleman’s service in Congress concluded at the end of his first term on January 3, 2021.

After leaving Congress, Riggleman remained active in public affairs, particularly on issues related to extremism, disinformation, and the events surrounding the 2020 presidential election. Drawing on his background in intelligence and data analysis, he served as a senior technical adviser to the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, assisting in efforts to map communications and networks connected to the assault on the U.S. Capitol. In October 2022 he co-authored a book with journalist Hunter Walker titled The Breach, which detailed his work with the January 6 committee and offered his perspective on the threat posed by political extremism and conspiracy theories. Alongside his continued involvement in business and consulting, this work marked his transition from elected office to a role as a public commentator and analyst on national security, democracy, and governance.