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Troy Nehls

Troy Edwin Nehls (/nɛlz/ NELZ; born April 7, 1968)[3] is an American politician and former law enforcement officer who is the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district. From 2013 to 2021, he served as the sheriff for Fort Bend County, Texas. Nehls is a member of the Republican Party.

Troy Nehls
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 22nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2021
Preceded byPete Olson
Sheriff of Fort Bend County
In office
January 1, 2013 – January 1, 2021
Preceded byMilton Wright[1]
Succeeded byEric Fagan[2]
Personal details
Born (1968-04-07) April 7, 1968 (age 56)
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Jill Broxson
​
(m. 2009)​
Children3
Residence(s)Richmond, Texas, U.S.
EducationLiberty University (BA)
University of Houston–Downtown (MA)
WebsiteHouse website
Military service
Branch/service
Years of service1988–2009
RankMajor
UnitCivil Affairs
Battles/wars
AwardsBronze Star Medal (2)

Early life and education

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Nehls was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. His father, Edwin Nehls, served in the Korean War and as sheriff of Dodge County, Wisconsin.[4] Nehls enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in 1988. He served tours of duty in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and earned two Bronze Stars.[4] He earned his bachelor's degree from Liberty University and a master's degree in criminal justice from University of Houston–Downtown.[5]

Career

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Military and law enforcement

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In 1988, Nehls joined the Army Reserve. Nehls moved to Fort Bend County, Texas, in 1994, and joined the police department of Richmond, Texas.[5] In 1998, he was fired for reasons including destruction of evidence.[6]

In 2004, Nehls was elected constable for Fort Bend County, while he was serving as a reservist in Iraq.[4] He retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of major in 2009.[4]

In 2012, Nehls was elected sheriff of Fort Bend County, taking office in January 2013.[7] He was reelected in 2016. In July 2019, he announced that he would not seek reelection as sheriff in November 2020.[8]

In October 2008, Nehls was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) for his service in Afghanistan in March 2008. In March 2023, the military rescinded the award of the badge to Nehls, because he was not eligible to receive it – he was neither an infantryman nor a special forces operator, but was instead a civil affairs officer. The revocation became public in May 2024.[9] Nehls continued to wear the badge, saying that he disagreed with the revocation, and that he believed "this is a concerted effort to discredit my military service and continued service to the American people as a member of Congress."[10] Nehls subsequently stopped wearing the badge owing in large part to these Stolen Valor claims against him.[11]

Congress

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Nehls formed an exploratory committee for Texas's 22nd congressional district for the 2018 elections, who would have pit him against incumbent Republican Pete Olson, but decided in December 2017 not to run for that office.[12]

In mid-July 2019, Nehls created a website where he asked Fort Bend County residents whether he should run for Congress in the 22nd congressional district, which covers Katy, Sugar Land, and Pearland.[13] On July 25, 2019, Olson announced he would not seek reelection in 2020.[14] In December 2019, Nehls announced that he would run for the seat.[15]

U.S. House of Representatives

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2020 election

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Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas § District 22

Nehls finished first in the March 2020 Republican primary[16] with 40.5% of the vote. In the July runoff, he defeated second-place finisher Kathaleen Wall, receiving 70% of the vote.[17][18]

According to his campaign website, Nehls ran in order to improve mental and physical health care for veterans and to protect oil and gas jobs in Texas.[19] Two days after he became the nominee, the "Standing with President Trump" page on that website was removed.[20]

In the general election in November, Nehls faced Democratic nominee Sri Preston Kulkarni.[18] He defeated Kulkarni, 52% to 45%, and assumed office on January 3, 2021.[21][22]

117th Congress

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In his first week in the U.S. House, Nehls and other members of Congress were seen assisting U.S. Capitol Police in barricading the door to the House floor from protesters during the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[23] Nehls admonished rioters trying to enter the House chamber.[24]

On January 7, 2021, Nehls joined 121 other Republican members of Congress in objecting to counting certain electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.[25] On January 13, 2021, he voted against the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.

After President Joe Biden delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress in April 2021, Nehls approached Biden and said he wanted to work together on criminal justice reform. Biden administration staff subsequently reached out to Nehls's office.[26] On May 25, 2021, Nehls partnered with Representative Val Demings to introduce H.R. 3529, The Second Chance Opportunity for Re-Entry Education (SCORE) Act, to direct grant funds to county jails for career training programs for non-violent, incarcerated individuals to reduce jail recidivism.[27]

On January 3, 2022, Nehls entered a full transcript[28][29] of an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience with Robert W. Malone into the Congressional Record in order to circumvent what he said was censorship by social media.[30][28]

In the wake of the FBI search of presidential records at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, Nehls announced his support for Donald Trump for president in 2024 and denounced the FBI and Department of Justice as "corrupt".[31]

The PACT ACT which expanded VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service, received a "nay" from Nehls in March 2022.[32] Regarding cannabis, despite lobbying from VSOs such as the DAV,[33] Nehls voted in April 2022 against 2022 MORE Act.[34][35]

in 2022, Nehls published his book The Big Fraud: What Democrats Don’t Want You to Know about January 6, the 2020 Election, and a Whole Lot Else,[36] which laid out his thoughts on events around that presidential election.[37]

Nehls's bill, H.R. 6064, passed the House by a vote of 414-2 and was signed into law by President Joe Biden on December 27, 2022. H.R. 6064 directs the VA and National Academies of Science and Medicine to review VA examinations that are provided for mental and physical conditions linked to military sexual trauma and assess the impairments of individuals arising from such trauma.[38]

118th Congress

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In 2023, Nehls was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

Nehls voted in favor of H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which increased the federal debt limit, established new discretionary spending limits, rescinded unobligated funds, and expanded work requirements for federal programs.[39]

Nehls in January 2024 indicated that he would not support an immigration bill regarding the Mexico–United States border being negotiated by the Senate and the Biden administration, because the bill would "help Joe Biden's approval rating".[40] Nehls further said that "Congress doesn’t have to do anything to secure our southern border and fix it."[41]

During the 2024 State of the Union Address, Nehls wore a shirt featuring Donald Trump's mug shot and the words "Never Surrender!"[42] He later co-sponsored a bill to rename Dulles International Airport after Trump in April.[43]

On March 26, 2024 the United States House Committee on Ethics announced Nehls was the subject of an investigation. The Committee did not specify the focus of the investigation, but Nehls said it was related to his campaign's finances.[44] On May 10, 2024, the independent Office of Congressional Ethics reported its findings that probable cause was determined, indicating that Nehls had converted campaign funds for personal use, and recommended further review.[45][46]

Following a GOP conference meeting with President-elect Trump on November 13, 2024,[47] Nehls enthused to gathered news reporters:

"So now he’s got a mission statement of his mission and his goals and objective. Whatever that is, we need to embrace it. All of it. Every single word. If Donald Trump says jump three feet high and scratch your head, we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads. And that's it. He's the greatest thing since sliced bread!"[48]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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Electoral history

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Republican primary results, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Troy Nehls 29,583 40.5
Republican Kathaleen Wall 14,201 19.4
Republican Pierce Bush 11,281 15.4
Republican Greg Hill 10,315 14.1
Republican Dan Mathews 2,165 3.0
Texas's 22nd congressional district: 2020 results[51][52]
Year Republican Votes Pct Democratic Votes Pct Libertarian Party Votes Pct
2020 Troy Nehls 204,537 51.7% Sri Preston Kulkarni 175,738 44.4% Joseph LeBlanc Libertarian 15,452 3.9%
Texas's 22nd congressional district: 2022 results[53][54]
Year Republican Votes Pct Democratic Votes Pct Libertarian Party Votes Pct
2022 Troy Nehls 149,757 62.3% Jamie Jordan 85,440 35.5% Joseph LeBlanc Libertarian 5,362 2.2%

Awards

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On May 18, 2023, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) awarded Nehls its Real Solutions Champion award for "his contributions to keeping communities safe during his law enforcement and Congressional career".[55]

Personal life

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Nehls has a twin brother, Trever. Trever Nehls served in the Army Reserve for 24 years, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another brother, Todd, served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and is a former sheriff of Dodge County.[4] Trever succeeded Troy as a constable for Fort Bend County in 2013,[7] and won the Republican nomination to succeed him as the sheriff of Fort Bend County in March 2020.[56]

Nehls and his wife, Jill, an educator, have three daughters.[5]

Nehls is Protestant.[57]

References

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  1. ^ "Retiring sheriff leaves behind rich legacy after 16 years in office". Fort Bend Independent. February 26, 2012.
  2. ^ Lewis, Brooke A. (November 5, 2020). "Fort Bend makes history, elects Eric Fagan as first Black sheriff since Reconstruction". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "Troy Nehls". Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e Sudhalter, Michael (June 15, 2012). "Nehls Twins' careers highlighted by dedication to public service". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Clark, Natalie Cook (June 1, 2019). "Sheriff Troy Nehls: A Legacy of Public Service". Katy Magazine. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Schneider, Andrew (December 8, 2017). "Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls Won't Run For Congress in 2018". Houston Public Media.
  7. ^ a b Emswiler, David (July 22, 2013). "Sheriff Troy Nehls: A career law enforcement officer who comes from a law enforcement family". Fort Bend Herald. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Lewis, Brooke A. (July 10, 2019). "Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls won't seek another term". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  9. ^ LaPorta, James (May 6, 2024). "Rep. Troy Nehls responds to report that military documents contradict medal claims - CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  10. ^ Keel, Rebecca; Beynon, Steve (June 21, 2024). "Texas Congressman Won't Stop Wearing Combat Infantryman Badge that Was Revoked". military.com. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  11. ^ Kheel, Rebecca (June 26, 2024). "Texas Congressman Removes Combat Infantryman Badge After Month of Stolen Valor Criticism". Military.com. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  12. ^ McClellan, Theresa D. (December 13, 2017). "Sheriff won't run for Congress". Fort Bend Star. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  13. ^ Willey, Scott Reese (July 25, 2019). "Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls explores run for Congress". Fort Bend Herald. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  14. ^ Benning, Tom (July 25, 2019). "Sugar Land Rep. Pete Olson will not run for re-election in district expected to be competitive in 2020". Dallas News. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  15. ^ Scherer, Jasper (December 8, 2019). "Fort Bend's Nehls announces bid for Congress". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  16. ^ Nix, Kristi (March 4, 2020). "Nehls brothers, family members celebrate primary election results". ExpressNews.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  17. ^ "AP: Troy Nehls defeats Kathaleen Wall in GOP primary runoff for Texas' 22nd Congressional District". KHOU 11. Associated Press. July 14, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Axelrod, Tal (July 14, 2020). "Troy Nehls wins GOP primary in competitive Texas House district". The Hill. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  19. ^ Panetta, Grace Madison Hall (August 28, 2020). "Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni faces off against Republican Troy Nehls in Texas' 22nd Congressional District". Business Insider.
  20. ^ Scherer, Jasper (July 24, 2020). "His approval faltering, Republicans in battleground Houston districts start to distance from Trump". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  21. ^ Sanchez, Carolina (November 3, 2020). "Republican Troy Nehls defeats Sri Preston Kulkarni in Texas 22 race". FOX 26 Houston KRIV-TV. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  22. ^ Vella, Lauren (November 4, 2020). "Republican Fort Bend County Sheriff wins Texas House seat". The Hill. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  23. ^ Beavers, Olivia (January 21, 2021). "How lawmakers trapped in the House stood their ground". Politico.
  24. ^ Reilly, Ryan (January 6, 2024). "A tense new Jan. 6 video shows Republican congressmen admonishing rioters trying to enter House chamber". NBC News.
  25. ^ Sprunt, Barbara (January 7, 2021). "Here Are The Republicans Who Objected To The Electoral College Count : Insurrection At The Capitol: Live Updates". NPR. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  26. ^ Livingston, Abby (April 29, 2021). "Freshman GOP Texas congressman made a personal pitch to Joe Biden: Let me help with criminal justice reform". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  27. ^ "Congressman Troy e. Nehls Announces Introduction of SCORE Act". May 26, 2021. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Joe Rogan Experience #1757 – Dr. Robert Malone, MD Full Transcript". Congressman Troy Nehls. January 3, 2022. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  29. ^ 2021 Congressional Record, Vol. 167, Page e1403 (3 January 2022)
  30. ^ Fenton, Tom (January 4, 2022). "YouTube takes down anti-vax Joe Rogan interview with Dr Robert Malone". The Independent. Retrieved January 6, 2022 – via Yahoo! Sports.
  31. ^ "Rep. Troy Nehls joins GOP in backing Trump, escalates dark rhetoric after FBI search". August 13, 2022.
  32. ^ https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202257
  33. ^ "DAV Magazine July/August 2023 Page 5". www.qgdigitalpublishing.com.
  34. ^ https://www.c-span.org/video/?519065-1/house-session&start=11123
  35. ^ "Vote Smart | Facts for All".
  36. ^ Nehls, Troy E. (August 13, 2022). Amazon.com page for "The Big Fraud" by Troy Nehls. Bombardier Books. ISBN 978-1637587218.
  37. ^ Keller, Michael H.; Kirkpatrick, David D. (August 23, 2022). "Their America Is Vanishing. Like Trump, They Insist They Were Cheated". The New York Times.
  38. ^ "H.R.6064 - To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for a review of examinations, furnished by the Secretary, to individuals who submit claims to the Secretary for compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, for mental and physical conditions linked to military sexual trauma". congress.gov.
  39. ^ "Roll Call 243 Roll Call 243, Bill Number: H. R. 3746, 118th Congress, 1st Session". May 31, 2023.
  40. ^ Raju, Manu; Zanona, Melanie; Fox, Lauren (January 3, 2024). "A border deal to nowhere? House GOP ready to reject Senate compromise on immigration". CNN. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  41. ^ McCann Ramírez, Nikki (January 31, 2024). "GOP Rep. on Border Security: 'Congress Doesn't Have to Do Anything'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  42. ^ Dunlap, Sydney (March 8, 2024). "Photos: Loudest political fashion statements at the State of the Union". The Hill. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  43. ^ Pengelly, Martin (April 2, 2024). "Republicans propose renaming Dulles airport after Trump as 'symbol of freedom'". The Guardian. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  44. ^ "Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding Representative Troy E. Nehls". House Committee on Ethics. March 26, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  45. ^ Freking, Kevin "Ethics review finds probable cause that Rep. Troy Nehls misused campaign funds" Associated Press, May 10, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  46. ^ "OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Troy Nehls" Office of Congressional Ethics, May 10, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  47. ^ Wong, Scott "Trump endorses Mike Johnson for speaker in meeting with House Republicans" NBC News, November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  48. ^ Blake, Aaron "Checks and balances? Some GOP lawmakers say just do whatever Trump wants." The Washington Post, November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  49. ^ "Congressman Nehls Announces Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Assignment | Representative Troy Nehls". nehls.house.gov. January 25, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  50. ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  51. ^ "2008 General Election Results". Secretary of State. State of Texas. November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  52. ^ "2018 General Election Results". Secretary of State. State of Texas. November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  53. ^ "2008 General Election Results". Secretary of State. State of Texas. November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  54. ^ "2018 General Election Results". Secretary of State. State of Texas. November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  55. ^ "NSSF Recognizes Former Sheriff U.S. Representative Troy Nehls in Congress During National Police Week 2023". May 18, 2023.
  56. ^ "Twin of Fort Bend County sheriff Troy Nehls wins GOP primary while deployed overseas". ABC13 Houston. March 4, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  57. ^ "Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 118th Congress". Pew Research Center. January 3, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 22nd congressional district
2021–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
327th 		Succeeded by
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