Representative David Michael Staton

David Michael Staton, better known as Mick Staton (February 11, 1940 – April 14, 2014), was an American banker and politician who served as a Republican Representative from West Virginia in the United States Congress from 1981 to 1983. Over the course of one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District.

Staton was born on February 11, 1940, in Parkersburg, a city in Wood County, West Virginia. He grew up in Parkersburg and graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1958. Demonstrating an early commitment to public service, he joined the Army National Guard in 1957 while still a teenager and continued his service until 1965. After high school, he pursued higher education at Concord College in Athens, West Virginia, where he studied from 1961 until 1963, laying the groundwork for his later professional and political career.

Following his military service and college studies, Staton entered the banking industry, where he developed expertise in finance and management. He joined Kanawha Valley Bank in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1972. Over the next several years he advanced within the institution, first serving as data processing manager and later rising to the position of vice president. His tenure at Kanawha Valley Bank, which lasted until 1980, established him as a prominent banker in the state and provided him with substantial experience in business operations and economic issues that would inform his later work in public office.

Parallel to his banking career, Staton became increasingly active in Republican Party politics in West Virginia. He served as a delegate to the state Republican conventions in 1976 and 1980, reflecting his growing influence within the party. In 1980, he was also chosen as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, participating in the national nominating process during a pivotal election year. His first attempt to enter Congress came in 1978, when he ran unsuccessfully against longtime Democratic incumbent John M. Slack Jr. in the 3rd Congressional District. Although he lost that race, the campaign elevated his profile and positioned him for future electoral success.

Staton’s breakthrough came in the 1980 election cycle. Following the death of John M. Slack Jr., Democrat John G. Hutchinson had been elected in a special election to fill the vacant seat. In the general election that year, Staton ran again for the 3rd District seat and defeated Hutchinson, capitalizing on a broader Republican surge and his own growing reputation in the district. He took office as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in January 1981 and served one term, from 1981 to 1983. During his time in Congress, Staton, as a member of the Republican Party, participated in the legislative process at the outset of the Reagan administration, representing the interests of his West Virginia constituents and engaging in the national debates of the early 1980s. In the 1982 election, he was defeated for re-election by Democrat Bob Wise, who would later become governor of West Virginia.

After leaving Congress, Staton continued to play a role in national policy and politics from outside elected office. From 1984 until 1990, he served as chief political advisor to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the country’s most influential business advocacy organizations. In this capacity, he worked on political strategy and policy priorities for the Chamber, drawing on both his legislative experience and his background in banking. Remaining active in Republican politics into the twenty-first century, he served as a presidential elector for the Republican ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in the 2012 election, underscoring his long-standing involvement in party affairs.

In his later years, Staton resided in Inwood, West Virginia. He died on April 14, 2014, at Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, Virginia. At the time of his death, he was remembered as both a banker and a public servant who had represented West Virginia in Congress during a transformative period in American political life.