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{{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       = 
| 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=Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from Virginia's 4th District<!-- e.g., Secretary of Defense -->|term_start2=January 1st, 2025|term_end2=|office3=Chair of the House Committee on Health & Education Affairs|term_start3=January 2nd, 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=September 28th - September 29th|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]]}}'''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 carreer 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 going through a nasty divorce from his ex-wife, Patricia Tentacles, 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, his good friend, 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 29th, 2024, Tentacles formally announced his candidacy for Virginia's 4th Congressional District and registered with the Federal Election Commission that same day. He lead one of the most successful congressional campaigns in history, as the most popular candidate in the 2024 Congressional Special Elections.

Because of a lack of opposition, his election was called, and was formally sworn in on January 1st, 2025. That same day, the House Republican Conference met, and Richard Tentacles was unanimously elected the House Minority Whip. He has been re-elected by the republican conference since then, becoming the House Majority Whip.

==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, priorly an avid supporter of Oski Gonzales, stated that Gonzales's resignation was "the most dishonorable action the President could have took." Since then, he has made positive comments about former President Gonzales.

===Same-sex marriage===
In 2024, Tentacles made light of President Oski Gonzales's homophobic comments towards James Leland, who is openly a homosexual.

At a press conference, Tentacles stated that he "just wants to serve his constituents", after being asked on his stance regarding Same-sex marriage.

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