Angela Rigas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theMichigan House of Representatives from the79th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Pauline Wendzel (redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hastings, Michigan |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Hastings High School |
Angela Rigas is an American politician fromMichigan. A member of theRepublican Party, she was elected to theMichigan House of Representatives in the2022 election from the79th district, and took office in 2023.[1] After the 2020 presidential election, Rigas denied the election result and took part in the rally that preceded theJanuary 6 insurrection at theU.S. Capitol.[2]
Rigas, a salon owner, defied stay-at-home orders during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Michigan. In May 2020, she was one of seven barbers cited fordisorderly conduct for their participation in the "Operation Haircut" protest, in which they refused to stop offering free haircuts on the lawn outside theMichigan State Capitol inLansing.[3][4] The charges against the seven were ultimately dismissed.[4] Rigas also espousedanti-vaccine misinformation.[2]
OnJanuary 6, 2021, Rigas participated in theWashington, D.C., rally that preceded theattack against the U.S. Capitol by an armed,far-right mob ofDonald Trump supporters who stormed the seat ofCongress.[2][5] In a January 6 Facebook post, Rigas denouncedU.S. Capitol Police officers who responded to the riot, comparing them to Revolutionary-era Britishredcoats.[4] Rigas called the day "a highlight of my life"[5] and claimed that she had been tear-gassed while outside the Capitol.[2][6] Throughout 2021, Rigas promoted Trump's false claim that he was the real winner of the2020 presidential election in Michigan, and she was among a number ofelection deniers who gained influence within theMichigan Republican Party.[7]
In 2022, Rigas ran for theMichigan House of Representatives from theHouse District 79 insouthwest Michigan.[4] The district encompasses the portion ofKent County that is south ofM-6 and west ofAlto, as well as a portion ofAllegan andBarry counties.[8] Rigas was one of at least 13 January 6 attendees to run for office in 2022,[6] and one of ten 2022 Michigan candidates endorsed by Trump.[9]
She defeated two rivals in the August 2022 Republicanprimary election.[10] In the November 2022 general election, she facedDemocratic nominee Kimberly Kennedy-Barrington, ofByron Center, aNavy veteran and small business owner.[8] Rigas won with 29,510 votes (65.77%), defeating Kennedy-Barrington, who took 15,360 votes (34.23%).[11] Statewide, however, Michigan Republicans suffered historic losses, with Democratic GovernorGretchen Whitmer winning a second turn and the Democrats winning majorities in both the state House andstate Senate for the first time in forty years.[12] Days after the general election, Rigas, along with fellow RepublicansNeil Friske andSteve Carra, formed the Grand New Party, aPAC that accused Michigan Republican leaders of being "too moderate" and called for a more aggressive strategy against Whitmer.[12]
Upon taking office in 2023, Rigas joined the newly declared Freedom Caucus, a far-right faction of eight Republican state representatives. New SpeakerJoe Tate initially did not give a committee assignment to Rigas, as well asMike Hoadley andMatt Maddock; later, the three were added to the House Committee on Housing; Rigas complained about her assignment.[13] In March 2023, Rigas was appointed to the executive board of the House Republican Campaign Committee.[2]
In 2023, Rigas denounced a package of gun bills introduced by Michigan Democrats, including the Michiganred flag law,safe storage law, anduniversal background checks.[14][15] In a floor speech, Rigas called the package an example of "tyrannical government";[15] at a rally against the bills, she said, "We will fight those until they're overturned."[14] She sponsored legislation to allow the concealed carrying of handguns without a permit and described Michigan as a "Democrat dictatorship."[16]
In June 2023, Rigas was one of a handful of representatives to vote against legislation to raise theminimum marriage age to 18. The bill passed on a 104–5, with four other Republicans (Carra, Friske, Maddock, andJosh Schriver) also voting no.[17]
In September 2023, Rigas was one of 11 Michigan Republicans who sued the state in federal court, contending that Michigan voter-approved initiatives that expanded voting access (specifically,Proposal 3 of 2018 andProposal 2 of 2022, which expanded access toin-person early voting andmail-in voting) were illegal.[18] Thefederal district court dismissed the case in April 2024.[19]
Rigas has been variously described as a resident ofAlto[20] orCaledonia.[19]
Rigas was reelected to the state Housein 2024.[21]
'The Democrats have been able to ram through safe storage, universal background checks and red flag laws,' state Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) said. 'We will fight those until they're overturned'.