Republican Congressman Riley Moore has been re-elected to the US House of Representatives, defeating Democratic Party candidate Ace Parsi to retain his seat as the representative for West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. Moore was one of several Republican candidates who won their seats amid Democrats' sweeping victory in the recent midterm elections. The race was fiercely contested, with Moore winning his seat with 59.4 per cent of the total votes cast.
"It's been an honor of my life to represent West Virginia's Second Congressional District. I'm proud of the work I've done to advance critical infrastructure investments, strengthen our aerospace and defense industries, and bring new economic opportunities and good-paying jobs to West Virginia. I'll never stop fighting for West Virginians!" Moore wrote on X after his victory.
According to Premium Times, amid US President Donald Trump's antagonism towards Nigeria, Moore repeatedly criticised the Nigerian government for not doing enough to protect Christians in the country. He made repeated claims that there was a Christian genocide in Nigeria and insisted on those claims despite the Nigerian government denying them. The government, along with local and international organisations, explained that Nigeria's insecurity was caused by several factors and was not targeted at any particular group.
Moore, first elected to the House in 2024, was also part of the US congressional delegation that visited Nigeria to discuss security in the West African nation. He is among the sponsors of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, a bill introduced in February alongside Congressman Chris Smith. If enacted, the legislation would require the US Secretary of State to regularly submit reports to Congress detailing efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.
He also championed the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act for 2027, which sought to cut foreign assistance to Nigeria over alleged targeted violence against Christians and other vulnerable communities. Earlier, Moore said the United States will closely monitor Nigeria's 2027 general election and pay particular attention to the credibility and conduct of the electoral process.
Democrats won Congress in the midterms and now have the capacity to hamstring President Trump's foreign policy initiatives when the new Congress is sworn in in January 2027. However, it remains to be seen how the changes in the US political landscape will affect Washington's relationship with Nigeria and Africa as a whole.