Elias Coop-Gonzalez

American politician

Elías Coop-González
Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 7, 2022
Preceded byCody Thompson
Constituency67th district
Personal details
Born
Elías Gorden Coop-González

(2002-05-02) May 2, 2002 (age 22)
Sololá, Guatemala
Nationality
  • United States
  • Guatemala
Political partyRepublican
Residence(s)Elkins, West Virginia, U.S.
EducationTygart Valley Christian Academy
Alma materLiberty University (BS) (enrolled)
WebsiteOfficial website

Elías Gorden Coop-González (/kuːp/; KuP Gon-Sales; born May 2, 2002) is an American politician. He currently serves as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates for District 67, which encompasses Randolph County and Pendleton County, for the Republican Party. He assumed office on December 1, 2022.[1] Coop-González is among the youngest state legislators in the United States, taking office at 20. He currently sits on four committees: Banking and Insurance, Energy and Manufacturing, Political Subdivisions, and Veterans Affairs/Homeland Security.[2][3]

Early life and education

Coop-González was born May 2, 2002 in Guatemala to an American father and a Guatemalan mother. He is the second of three sons raised in Panajachel. After his parents' divorce, he moved to the United States at age 12.[4] He grew up in Elkins, West Virginia and in 2020 was graduated as valedictorian from Tygart Valley Christian Academy. He is currently pursuing a degree in business administration and economics from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.[5][6]

Career

Before running for office, Coop-González interned for congressman Alex Mooney and worked for the Leadership Institute, a co-educational non-profit in Arlington, Virginia. During Donald Trump's re-election campaign, he was the youngest member of the West Virginia delegation of the Republican National Convention.[7]

In the 2022 West Virginia House of Delegates election, Coop-González defeated the incumbent, civics teacher Cody Thompson (D). His current term ends on December 1, 2024.[8][3]

Electoral History
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elías Coop-González 3490 60.29
Democratic Cody Thompson 2299 39.71

References

  1. ^ "Coop-González, 20, set to be sworn in as a delegate this week". theintermountain.com. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  2. ^ https://www.wvlegislature.gov/House/lawmaker.cfm?member=Delegate%20Coop-Gonzalez
  3. ^ a b "Elías Coop-González". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  4. ^ 02:04 to 02:20 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v18oVwzy3rc
  5. ^ "At 20, Liberty student becomes youngest delegate in West Virginia House » Liberty News". Liberty News. January 20, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "Elias Coop-Gonzáles". Conservation West Virginia. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "District 067 – Elías Coop-González". West Virginia Republican Leadership Committee. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  8. ^ "GOP increases supermajorities in West Virginia House, Senate". AP NEWS. November 9, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  • v
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  • e
  1. ▌Pat McGeehan (R)
  2. ▌Mark Zatezalo (R)
  3. ▌Jimmy Willis (R)
  4. ▌Diana Winzenreid (R)
  5. ▌Shawn Fluharty (D)
  6. ▌Jeffrey Stephens (R)
  7. ▌Charles Sheedy (R)
  8. ▌David Kelly (R)
  9. ▌Trenton Barnhart (R)
  10. ▌Bill Anderson (R)
  11. ▌Bob Fehrenbacher (R)
  12. ▌Vernon Criss (R)
  13. ▌Scot Heckert (R)
  14. ▌Dave Foggin (R)
  15. ▌Erica Moore (R)
  16. ▌Steve Westfall (R)
  17. ▌Jonathan Pinson (R)
  18. ▌Jim Butler (R)
  19. ▌Kathie Hess Crouse (R)
  20. ▌Geoff Foster (R)
  21. ▌Jarred Cannon (R)
  22. ▌Daniel Linville (R)
  23. ▌Evan Worrell (R)
  24. ▌Patrick Lucas (R)
  25. ▌Sean Hornbuckle (D)
  26. ▌Matthew Rohrbach (R)
  27. ▌Ric Griffith (D)
  28. ▌Mark Ross (R)
  29. ▌Henry Dillon (R)
  30. ▌David Adkins (R)
  31. ▌Margitta Mazzocchi (R)
  32. ▌Josh Holstein (R)
  33. ▌Jordan Bridges (R)
  34. ▌Mark Dean (R)
  35. ▌Adam Vance (R)
  36. ▌Stephen "David" Green (R)
  37. ▌Marty Gearheart (R)
  38. ▌Joe Ellington (R)
  39. ▌Doug Smith (R)
  40. ▌Roy Cooper (R)
  41. ▌Jordan Maynor (R)
  42. ▌Brandon Steele (R)
  43. ▌Chris Toney (R)
  44. ▌Todd Kirby (R)
  45. ▌Eric Brooks (R)
  46. ▌Jeff Campbell (R)
  47. ▌Todd Longanacre (R)
  48. ▌Tom Clark (R)
  49. ▌Heather Tully (R)
  50. ▌Elliott Pritt (R)
  51. ▌Tom Fast (R)
  52. ▌Larry Rowe (D)
  53. ▌Chris Pritt (R)
  54. ▌Mike Pushkin (D)
  55. ▌JB Akers (R)
  56. ▌Kayla Young (D)
  57. ▌Hollis Lewis (D)
  58. ▌Walter Hall (R)
  59. ▌Andy Shamblin (R)
  60. ▌Dana Ferrell (R)
  61. ▌Dean Jeffries (R)
  62. ▌Roger Hanshaw (R)
  63. ▌Lori Dittman (R)
  64. ▌Adam Burkhammer (R)
  65. ▌Carl Martin (R)
  66. ▌Ty Nestor (R)
  67. ▌Elias Coop-Gonzalez (R)
  68. ▌Chris Phillips (R)
  69. ▌Keith Marple (R)
  70. ▌Mickey Petitto (R)
  71. ▌Laura Kimble (R)
  72. ▌Clay Riley (R)
  73. ▌Amy Summers (R)
  74. ▌Mike DeVault (R)
  75. ▌Phil Mallow (R)
  76. ▌Joey Garcia (D)
  77. ▌Joe Statler (R)
  78. ▌Geno Chiarelli (R)
  79. ▌Evan Hansen (D)
  80. ▌John Williams (D)
  81. ▌Anitra Hamilton (D)
  82. ▌Debbie Warner (R)
  83. ▌George Street (R)
  84. ▌D. Rolland Jennings (R)
  85. ▌John Paul Hott (R)
  86. ▌Bryan Ward (R)
  87. ▌Gary Howell (R)
  88. ▌Rick Hillenbrand [Wikidata] (R)
  89. ▌Darren Thorne (R)
  90. ▌George Miller (R)
  91. ▌Don Forsht (R)
  92. ▌Michael Hite (R)
  93. ▌Michael Hornby (R)
  94. ▌Larry Kump (R)
  95. ▌Chuck Horst (R)
  96. ▌Eric Householder (R)
  97. ▌John Hardy (R)
  98. ▌Paul Espinosa (R)
  99. ▌Wayne Clark (R)
  100. ▌William Ridenour (R)