| Nico Rios | |
| Birth Place: | Chicago, Illinois, US |
| State House: | North Dakota |
| District: | 23rd |
| Termstart: | December 1, 2022 |
| Alongside: | Dennis Nehring |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Williston, North Dakota |
Nico Rios is an American politician affiliated with the Republican Party. He has served as a representative for the 23rd district in the North Dakota House of Representatives since 2022, alongside Scott Dyk.[1] [2]
Prior to moving to North Dakota, Rios worked in Senator Ted Cruz's Washington, D.C., office. As of 2022, he was working as a wireline operator in Williston. "The type of medical and economic tyranny we saw across the country due to covid made me want to do something", he said during his 2022 run for office.[3]
On December 15, 2023, Rios was pulled over at around 11:30 p.m. after he failed to stay in his lane.[4] In a police report, he was noted as being "verbally abusive, homophobic, racially abusive and discriminatory" toward an officer.[5] [6] During the arrest, Rios told the officers that they would "regret picking on me because you don't know who the fuck I am."[7]
Rios was charged with driving under the influence and refusing to provide a chemical test. He later pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was sentenced to nearly one year of unsupervised probation and a $1,000 fine.[8]
In an apology statement, he said that "I decided to act like a dummie. They did nothing to deserve any sort of disrespect. I owe it to myself, my district, and everyone and I vow to make sure this never happens again."