Allen West (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allen West
Chair of the Texas Republican Party
In office July 20, 2020 – July 11, 2021
Preceded by	James Dickey
Succeeded by	Matt Rinaldi
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 22nd district
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Ron Klein
Succeeded by	Lois Frankel
Personal details
Born	Allen Bernard West (1961-02-07) February 7, 1961 (age 64) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Angela Graham ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	2
Education	University of Tennessee (BA) Kansas State University (MA) United States Army Command and General Staff College (MMAS)
Military service
Allegiance	United States  Texas
Branch/service	United States Army Texas State Guard
Years of service	1983–2004 (U.S. Army) 2019–present (Texas State Guard)
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Commands	2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment
Battles/wars	Gulf War Iraq War
Awards	Bronze Star Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal

Allen Bernard West (born in 1961) is an American politician and a retired military officer. He is a member of the Republican Party. West served in the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 22nd district from 2011 to 2013. He was also the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas from 2020 to 2021. Since 2024, he has been the chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party.

West was born and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He started his military career in 1983 after graduating from the University of Tennessee. He served in the Gulf War in Kuwait in 1991 and the Iraq War in 2003. After leaving the army, West moved to Florida. There, he taught at a high school and worked as an adviser in Afghanistan.

West entered politics in 2008. He ran for Congress in Florida but lost. In 2010, he ran again and won. He became one of the first African-American Republican members of Congress from Florida since 1876. In Congress, West was a well-known member of the Tea Party movement. He was known for his strong conservative views. After a change in district boundaries, he lost his re-election bid in 2012.

In 2020, West became the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. He resigned in 2021 to run for governor of Texas. He was defeated in the primary election.

Early Life and Education

Allen Bernard West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 7, 1961. His parents were Elizabeth and Herman West, Sr. Both his father and older brother were career military officers. His father served in World War II, and his brother served in the Vietnam War. West's mother worked for the United States Marine Corps. Even though his parents were Democrats, West said they raised him with very conservative values.

In high school, West joined the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program. After high school, he went to the University of Tennessee. There, he joined the Army ROTC program. In 1983, he graduated and became an officer in the U.S. Army. West is the third of four generations in his family to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. He later earned two master's degrees. One was in political science from Kansas State University. The other was in military history and operations from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Military Career (1983–2004, 2019–present)

Serving in the U.S. Army

West began his active duty in the U.S. Army in 1983. He completed training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Fort Benning, Georgia. His first assignment was in Italy. In 1987, West was promoted to captain. He later commanded a battery in the 6th Field Artillery Regiment. He served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War.

After returning from Kuwait, West taught for the Army ROTC at Kansas State University. He was named the U.S. Army ROTC Instructor of the Year in 1993. He was promoted to major and then to lieutenant colonel. In 2002, West took command of the 2d Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment. He deployed with his battalion during the Iraq War in 2003. He later retired from the Army in 2004.

West received several awards for his military service. These include the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Joining the Texas State Guard

On August 29, 2019, West joined the Texas State Guard. This ceremony took place at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. He kept his rank of lieutenant colonel from his federal military service.

Life After Active Military Duty (2004–2007)

After retiring from the Army, West and his family moved to Florida. For one year, he taught U.S. history and coached track and field at Deerfield Beach High School. He then worked for a private military company for two years. During this time, West was in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He advised the Afghan National Army as a civilian.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Running for Office

2008 Election

In 2006, the Republican representative for Florida's 22nd Congressional District lost his seat to Democrat Ron Klein. This district included parts of Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. Allen West decided to run for this seat in 2008. He won the Republican nomination without anyone running against him. However, he lost the election to Ron Klein. Klein received 54.7% of the votes, and West received 45.3%.

2010 Election

West ran against Ron Klein again in 2010. He spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference and was supported by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. West was one of 32 African-American Republican candidates for Congress that year. He supported the Tea Party movement. He said that accusations of racism against the movement were false. West was described as a "tea party star." He became a member of the congressional Tea Party Caucus in 2011.

In September 2010, the Florida Democratic Party accidentally released a flyer with West's Social Security number. West strongly criticized this, saying it put his family at risk. West defeated Klein in the election, winning by 8.8%. He and Tim Scott were the first African-American Republicans in Congress since 2003. West raised $5.4 million for his campaign. He said that most of his donations came from individuals.

2012 Election

West speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.

In 2011, experts said West was one of the top Republicans who might be affected by new district boundaries. The new boundaries made his district more Democratic. West decided to run for re-election in the neighboring 18th District instead. This move was expected to help his chances of winning.

In the new district, West faced a challenge from Robert Crowder in the primary election. West won the primary by a large margin, getting 74.4% of the votes. His opponent in the general election was Patrick Murphy, a Democrat. The campaign included many negative ads. West lost to Murphy by a small margin of about 2,000 votes. West did not immediately accept the results, pointing to issues in St. Lucie County. However, he conceded the election on November 20, 2012.

Time in Congress

West's strong way of speaking earned him both support and criticism. Some conservatives saw him as a "torch bearer" and "conservative icon." For example, Sarah Palin suggested him as a vice president. West made strong statements about various topics. He called President Barack Obama "an abject failure." He also said that some African American Democrats were trying to keep African Americans "on the plantation." West called himself a "modern-day Harriet Tubman" helping them.

In 2011, West joined other members of Congress in criticizing the flying of a Palestine Liberation Organization flag in Washington D.C. He said it was an attempt to make a group with a history of terrorism seem legitimate. West also said that Michael Ledeen was one of his "foreign policy heroes." He encouraged people to read Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals to understand their opponents.

West believed America was defending Western civilization against threats from the Middle East. He compared it to historical battles like the Battle of Tours. In February 2011, West voted to extend parts of the Patriot Act because of the threat of "radical Islamic terrorists." He later said that a Muslim representative, Keith Ellison, represented the "antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established." West later clarified that his comments were about Ellison's support for a specific group, not his faith.

In 2011, West sent a strong email to Democratic representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz. This was in response to comments she made about him. West called her "the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives." He said she was "not a lady."

In 2012, West claimed that "about 78 to 81 members of the Democratic Party are members of the Communist Party." When asked to name them, he said it was the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Committees and Groups

West was part of the House Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee. He was also a member of several groups in Congress:

• Republican Study Committee
• Tea Party Caucus
• Congressional Black Caucus

When West joined the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in 2011, he was the first Republican to join since 1997.

Life After Congress (2013–present)

Allen West at the National Pachyderm Convention in Galveston, Texas in 2019.

In 2013, West began working for Next Generation.TV and later became a contributor for Fox News. He offered political comments on their shows. In 2015, he was nominated to the Sunset Advisory Commission in Texas. This group checks if Texas state agencies are still needed.

West is a member of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). In 2016, he was elected to the NRA Board of Directors. In December 2016, a post on West's Facebook page caused controversy. It suggested that James Mattis was chosen as Secretary of Defense to "exterminate Muslims." The editor of West's website removed the post and apologized. She said West had no part in it.

West was an Executive Director for the National Center for Policy Analysis. This group researched public policy. He worked there from 2016 until it closed in 2017.

Chairman of the Texas Republican Party

In 2019, West announced he would run for Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. He challenged the current chairman, James Dickey. West wanted to "strengthen our families," "stand up for life," and secure the U.S.–Mexico border. He was elected chairman on July 20, 2020. He won 22 out of 31 Senate district caucuses at the Texas state Republican convention.

After West's election, the party adopted the slogan "We are the storm." This phrase is also used by followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory. West said it was from a poem but did not say which one. In December 2020, after the Supreme Court of the United States rejected a lawsuit from Texas, West made a controversial statement. He said "Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the Constitution." Some people thought this meant he was encouraging states to leave the United States.

On June 4, 2021, West announced he would resign as GOP chair. His resignation was effective July 11, 2021.

Running for Texas Governor

On July 4, 2021, West announced he would run for Governor of Texas in 2022. He challenged the current governor, Greg Abbott. West was defeated in the Republican primary election on March 1, 2022.

Chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party

On March 5, 2024, Allen West was elected as the chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party. He won with over 70% of the vote. Since becoming chairman, he has tried to get an audit of the Dallas County election process. He has also suggested that there should be more monitoring at voting locations in the county.

Personal Life

Allen West married Angela M. Graham in 1989. She has a Ph.D. in education. They have two daughters. West and his family moved to Garland, Texas in 2015. West identifies as a Christian.

West enjoys scuba diving and motorcycles. He is an honorary member of the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club. In May 2020, West was in a motorcycle crash near Waco, Texas, during a protest. He was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.

In October 2021, West was diagnosed with COVID-19. He had pneumonia and treated himself with certain medications. West, who was not vaccinated against COVID-19, was hospitalized and received special antibody treatments. He was later released and continued to criticize COVID-19 vaccination programs.

Images for kids

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  Flag of the Texas State Guard

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  Insignia for a Lieutenant Colonel

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