Devin Gerald Nunes GOIH, born on October 1, 1973, is an American businessman and politician who currently serves as the CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). Prior to joining TMTG, Nunes represented California’s 21st and then 22nd congressional districts in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 to 2022.
As a member of the Republican Party, Nunes chaired the House Intelligence Committee from 2015 to 2019 and was part of President Donald Trump’s transition team. His former district, which was numbered as the 21st from 2003 to 2013 and as the 22nd after redistricting, is located in the San Joaquin Valley and includes most of western Tulare County and much of eastern Fresno County.
In March 2017, under Nunes’s chairmanship, the U.S. House intelligence committee initiated an investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Nunes released a four-page memorandum in February 2018 alleging an FBI conspiracy against Trump and subsequently started an investigation of the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department for alleged power abuse aimed at harming Trump. In January 2021, Trump awarded Nunes the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Nunes was born to Antonio L. “Anthony” Nunes Jr. and Toni Diane Nunes. His grandfather founded Nunes & Sons, a well-known dairy operation in Tulare County. His family ran their farm in California until 2006, when they sold the property and bought a dairy in Sibley, Iowa.
Nunes is of three-quarters Portuguese descent, with ancestors from the Azores who migrated to California. He has one younger brother, Anthony III. At age 14, Nunes became an entrepreneur when he bought seven head of young cattle and quickly learned how to profit from his investment.
After earning his Associate of Arts degree from the College of the Sequoias in 1993, Nunes graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business in 1995, and a master’s degree in agriculture in 1996. After finishing school, Nunes returned to farming.
In 1996, at age 23, Nunes was elected to the College of the Sequoias Board, making him one of California’s youngest community college trustees in state history. He served on the board until 2002.
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Nunes to serve as California State Director for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development section.
Nunes entered the “top two” primary race for California’s 20th congressional district seat held by Democrat Cal Dooley in 1998, but finished in third place. In 2002, Nunes ran for the Republican nomination in the 21st congressional district, a new district created by reapportionment after the 2000 United States census. His main opponents in the crowded seven-way primary were former Fresno mayor Jim Patterson and state Assemblyman Mike Briggs. Nunes was the only major candidate from Tulare County; Patterson and Briggs were both from Fresno. This was critical, as 58% of the district’s population was in Tulare County.
Patterson and Briggs split the vote in Fresno County, allowing Nunes to win by a four-point margin over Patterson, his nearest competitor. Nunes won 46.5% of the vote in Tulare County and 28.1% of the vote in Fresno County. Nunes was also helped by a strong showing in the rural part of the district. He was endorsed by the California Farm Bureau and The Fresno Bee. The district was solidly Republican, and Nunes coasted to victory in November.