View source for Richard Tentacles

{{Infobox congressman
| name = Richard Tentacles 
| image = File:Richard.jpg
| image_size = 
| alt = Portrait of Richard Tentacles
| caption = Official Portrait, 2025
| office = House Majority Whip
| order             = 
| term_start        = January 10th, 2025
| term_end          = 
| predecessor       =Kash Smore 
| successor         = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|4|30}}
| birth_place = Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
| nationality = American
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| education = 
| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|[[James Madison University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])|[[James Madison University College of Business]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]])}}
| profession = Politician, Businessman
|office1=House Minority Whip|term_start1=January 1st, 2025|office2=Chair of the House Committee on Health & Education Affairs|term_start2=January 1st, 2025|term_end2=|office3=Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from Virginia's 4th District<!-- e.g., Secretary of Defense -->|term_start3=January 1st, 2025|office4=2nd [[United States Secretary of the Interior|United States Secretary of the Interior]]|term_start4=November 17, 2024|term_end4=December 27, 2024|children=4|term_end1=January 10th, 2024|subterm3=|office5=[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from Virginia|termstart5=October 27, 2024|termend5=November 17, 2024|deputy4=Rebecca Kate (acting)|president4=Oski Gonzales, Lucas Bennett|preceded4=Frank Towns (acting)|succeeded4=Theodore Vascense|office6=12th [[White House Press Secretary | White House Press Secretary]]|termstart6=September 9, 2024|termend6=October 26, 2024|succeeded6=Scott Irons|preceded6=Scott Irons|president6=Mordechai Siegel, Lucas Bennett, Liam Cortez|office7=Member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican National Committee]]|termstart7=January 7th, 2024|succeeded1=Kash Smore}}'''Richard John Tentacles Sr.''' (born April 30, 1976) is an American businessman and politician who has served as [[Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives#Party whips and assistant party leaders|majority whip]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]] since 2025. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], he has represented Virginia's 4th congressional district since 2025.

Before his election to Congress, Tentacles served as the Secretary of the Interior under President Oski Gonzales from November 17th, 2024, to December 27th, 2024, who priorly was the Senior United States Senator from Virginia from October 2024 until his nomination and confirmation to the Cabinet. Before then, he had served as the 12th White House Press Secretary from September 2024 until he was dismissed by President Liam Cortez on October 26, 2024. He was the Press Secretary for the Republican National Committee, as well as a senior staffer for the Drake Hayes 2024 Presidential Campaign. Tentacles was elected to Congress in 2025, winning the 4th district seat in a special election. The district includes most of the area between Richmond and the North Carolina state line. It covers all or part of the counties of Brunswick, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Henrico, Prince George, Southampton, Surry, and Sussex, and all or part of the independent cities of Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond.

After Democrats gained a narrow-than-expected majority in the 2024 December Special Congressional Elections, he won an uncontested election for minority whip, 7-0. He was re-elected uncontested following a leadership reset, and proceeded to become the [[Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives#Party whips and assistant party leaders|majority whip]] after then Speaker Justin Powers became President, per the Presidential Line of Succession.

Tentacles was the most popular nominee in the 2024 December Special Congressional Elections in a BNC poll out of 9 people. He won by 25%.

==Early life, education==
Tentacles was born in Norfolk, Virginia to a blue collar family. At the age of 14, his family later moved to Charles City, Virginia. He attended Charles City School for the remainder of his time at home.

Tentacles attended James Madison University, a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He went on to attend James Madison University Business School. He played football. Tentacles received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Business Administration after attending both College and Business School.

== Career ==
Richard Tentacles began his political career during the 2024 Drake Hayes Presidential Campaign, as a loyal counterpart. Due to his contributions and whereabouts with the press, was made White House Press Secretary-designee during the Drake Hayes Presidential Transition however ended up resigning due to marital issues and to spend more time with family.

After a subtle comeback into politics, Tentacles went on to support the Siegel-Kennedy Presidential Campaign of 2024. He faced widespread criticism from republicans for supporting a democrat for president, causing his dismissal from the Republican National Committee. Because of his efforts and prior experience, then-President-elect Mordechai Siegel, named him White House Press Secretary for his incoming administration.

==White House Press Secretary==
In September 2024, shortly after the Inauguration of Mordechai Siegel, Tentacles took office as the 12th White House Press Secretary. During this period, he acted as the Press Secretary for the Siegel Administration, Bennett Administration, and Cortez Administration. He received widespread criticism in October of 2024 for hosting no White House Press Briefings, and was dismissed on day two of the Cortez Administration.

==U.S. Senate==
===Elections===
Tentacles officially announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on October 27th, 2024, however due to a major seat vacancy, was appointed to the United States Senate by then-President pro tempore Oski Gonzales. He went on to win the senatorial election by 67.5% of the vote, one of the largest margins in Virginia history. 

Tentacles received the endorsements of Former President Mordechai Siegel, Lucas Bennett, among other notable figures.

==Secretary of the Interior==
On November 16th, 2024, Tentacles was nominated by President Oski Gonzales to serve as the 2nd Secretary of the Interior, a vacant cabinet seat within the administration. The next day, on November 17th, 2024, he was confirmed by the United States Senate, voting for his own confirmation. 

He was seen as one of the biggest figureheads for land management and interior affairs, not be cause of his success, but simply because of his long tenure as the Secretary of the Interior. Critics claim that many sub-departments were cut, causing the neglect of many national parks, as well as U.S.-Tribal relations. Tentacles served during the administration of Oski Gonzales and the third Lucas Bennett Administration.

He was nominated to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury under the incoming Stone Administration, however withdrew his name from consideration. He formally resigned December 28, 2024, along with the remainder of the Bennett Cabinet.

==U.S. House of Representatives==
===Elections===

On December 29, 2024, Richard Tentacles announced his candidacy for Virginia's 4th Congressional District and registered with the Federal Election Commission on the same day. His campaign is often cited as one of the most successful in the history of the U.S. Congressional Special Elections, leveraging his status as the most popular candidate in the 2024 cycle.<ref name="FEC Registration">{{cite web |title=FEC Registration |url=[URL] |access-date=}}</ref>

Due to the absence of significant opposition, the election was quickly called in his favor, and Tentacles was formally sworn into office on January 1, 2025. On that same day, the House Republican Conference convened, and Richard Tentacles was elected unanimously as the House Minority Whip. Since his initial election, he has been re-elected by the Republican Conference, subsequently holding the position of House Majority Whip.<ref name="House GOP">{{cite news |title=House GOP Leadership Elections |url=[URL] |newspaper=[News Source] |date=January 1, 2025}}</ref>

===Committee assignments===
For the [[13th United States Congress|13th Congress]]:
* [[United States House Committee on Health & Education Affairs|Committee on Health & Education Affairs]]
* [[United States House Committee on Defense and Homeland Security|Committee on Defense and Homeland Security]]
* [[United States House Committee on the Judiciary|Committee on the Judiciary]]

==Political Positions==
===Abortion===
Tentacles is anti-abortion from both a political and moral standpoint. He has an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and opposes the use of taxpayer dollars for abortion purposes.
===Resignation of Oski Gonzales===
Tentacles, previously a staunch supporter of Oski Gonzales, described Gonzales's resignation as "the most dishonorable action the President could have taken." Since that statement, Tentacles has made positive remarks about the former President Gonzales.

===Same-sex marriage===
In 2024, Tentacles downplayed President Oski Gonzales's homophobic remarks directed at James Leland, who is openly gay.

During a subsequent press conference, when questioned about his position on same-sex marriage, Tentacles responded by saying that he "simply wishes to serve his constituents."

===Taxes===
Tentacles strongly opposes tax increases. He has also proposed gradually reducing the state corporate tax, with the eventual goal of repealing it altogether.