RILEY WATKINS

WHEELING — A 21-year old college student believes young people really should file to run for office and look to succeed in politics.

Republican Riley Watkins did just that, having filed to run for the House of Delegates District 5 seat in 2026. He is a student at West Liberty State College who operates his own fitness training business.

“If you would have asked me last year if I would be running for office, I probably would have told you no,” he said. “But I know a couple of people in politics in the state, and they put the idea in my brain. They recommended that it would be a good idea that I run, and I gave it a thought.

“In the end, I agreed with them.”

Watkins has interned with attorney and current Delegate Bill Flanagan, R-Ohio, and attorney George Sidiropolis. He said both encouraged him to enter politics.

He attended Woodsdale Elementary, Wheeling Country Day School, Triadelphia Middle School and later Wheeling Central Catholic High School, where he excelled in football.

“Wheeling Central had an amazing effect on me,” Watkins said. “Coach Mike Young was one of the best mentors in my life.”

He then went on to play a season of football at Mercyhurst University, but has since returned to Ohio County to pursue a career in exercise physiology at West Liberty University.

“I went to Mercyhurst to play football,” Watkins said. “I wanted to pursue business. But after one season of playing, I decided I wanted to move back home.

“It was at this time I wanted to pursue fitness and exercise physiology. I had also taken up an interest in going to law school.”

Watkins became a certified fitness trainer and started his own business.

“That is when I decided that was what I wanted to do,” he said. “Since then, I have been helping people get in shape and lose weight.”

Since becoming an adult and starting a business, Watkins said Wheeling “is a city I really care about.”

“West Virginia and Wheeling are losing,” he continued. “I feel like when it comes to obesity, depression… I’ve lost two people I know to mental health this year.

“When I think of the areas of success in the state, I think West Virginia can do a lot better. I feel it needs somebody who really, really cares about its cities to go in there and make it happen.”

He said young people often think politics is “out of reach” to them.

“But after working with Bill (Flanigan) and seeing him, Bill is just an ordinary guy,” Watkins explained. “I think seeing that, and realizing if you care and are willing to stand up for what you believe in and want to make a difference… all it takes is for you to go out and put your name out there. You can really get the support of the people who believe what you do and what you think.”

Watkins said his first experience with politics came 10 years ago when he was in fifth grade at WCDS and his class visited the State Capitol in Charleston. While there, he got to meet then-Delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, and Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio.