Tim Armstead, a Braxton County native, will take the reins today as speaker of the House of Delegates. A Republican representing Kanawha’s 40th district, Armstead said he and others in his party have targeted creating jobs and job growth as the top priorities for this year’s legislative session.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Looking back, one could probably say incoming Speaker of the House Tim Armstead is right where he was meant to be.
Armstead first developed an interest in government as a young teenager, during Gov. Arch Moore’s administration. From there, he served as student body president of Braxton County High School and pursued degrees in political science and history from the University of Charleston before graduating from West Virginia University’s law school.
“I think a lot of students have started in student government in high school or college and it gives them an interest in government,” said Armstead, R-Kanawha.
Armstead’s parents proved pivotal to shaping their young son’s political interests. They were fans of Moore, a three-term Republican governor, and that trickled down to Armstead, then 13.
“When I was 13, they took me to a Lincoln Day dinner so I heard Arch Moore speak when he was running in the 1978 Senate race against Jennings Randolph,” he said. “That was my first real political event. I still remember that. It left a great impression on me.”
So much so that Armstead has a signed photo of the former governor in his office, alongside a book on President Ronald Reagan, whom he calls his hero.
Armstead’s interest in politics continued through his college years…
