{{Short description|American politician (born 1979)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Amanda Batten | image = Amanda Batten (December 2024) (cropped).jpg | caption = Batten in 2024 | office = Member of the Virginia House of Delegates | constituency = 96th district (2020–2024)<br>71st district (2024–2026) | term_start = January 8, 2020 |term_end = January 14, 2026 | preceded = Brenda Pogge | succeeded = Jessica Anderson | birth_date = {{Birth year and age | 1979}}<ref name="hod-personal">{{cite web |url=http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0313#personalInfo |title=Bio for Amanda E. Batten |publisher=Virginia House of Delegates |access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref> | birth_place = Washington, D.C.<ref name="hod-personal" /> | party = Republican<ref name="hod-personal"/> | spouse = Richard Batten <ref name="hod-personal" /> | children = 1<ref name="hod-personal" /> | alma_mater = Frederick Community College<br>Ashford University<ref name="hod-personal" /> | profession = Legislative aide | committees = Education; Public Safety<ref name="hod-personal"/> | website = {{URL|amandabatten.com}} }}

'''Amanda E. Batten''' (born 1979) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2019 and was re-elected twice. In 2025, Batten ran for a fourth term, but lost to Democrat Jessica Anderson.

==Political career==

Batten spent about ten years working as a legislative aide in the Virginia General Assembly. She worked for Senator Tommy Norment and Delegate Brenda Pogge.<ref name="GazetteNov19">{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Sararose |date=November 5, 2019 |title=Batten takes over 96th District seat from Pogge |url=https://www.dailypress.com/virginiagazette/news/va-vg-elex-96-house-1106-20191106-w5l33enj5bfa5boiqdvwd64n3e-story.html |work=The Virginia Gazette |location=Williamsburg |access-date=March 17, 2020 }}</ref> She was also employed as a fundraising manager for the Medical Society of Virginia.<ref name="Profile">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Candidate Profile: Amanda Batten (96th District) |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/politics/candidates/candidate-profile-amanda-batten-96th-district/ |work=WAVY-TV |location=Portsmouth |date=September 30, 2019 |access-date=March 17, 2020 }}</ref>

In March 2019, Pogge announced her retirement from the House of Delegates, and endorsed Batten as her replacement.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Lynn |date=March 23, 2019 |title=Pogge Legislative Aide Amanda Batten Announces for HD-96 |url=https://bearingdrift.com/2019/03/23/pogge-legislative-aide-amanda-batten-announces-for-hd-96/ |work=Bearing Drift |access-date=March 17, 2020 }}</ref> Batten defeated former delegate Melanie Rapp Beale in the June primary by a 62-38 margin.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ress |first=Dave |date=June 10, 2019 |title=Mugler wins in 91st House district, Batten will face Downey in 96th |url=https://www.dailypress.com/government/dp-nws-ga-primary-peninsula-20190610-story.html |work=Daily Press |location=Newport News |access-date=March 17, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/view/134321/ |title=2019 House of Delegates Republican Primary District 96|author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Virginia State Board of Elections |access-date=March 17, 2020 }}</ref> Batten's top campaign issues were workforce development and ending a regional sales tax on Virginia's Historic Triangle.<ref name="Profile"/> In the November general election, Batten defeated pediatrician Mark Downey by a 52-46 margin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/view/135100/ |title=2019 House of Delegates General Election District 96|author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Virginia State Board of Elections |access-date=March 17, 2020 }}</ref>

In their 2021 rematch, Batten again defeated Downey, this time with a 55.8-44 margin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Del. Amanda Batten defeats Downey in 96th House District |url=https://www.dailypress.com/government/elections/vp-nw-elx-96th-downey-batten-20211103-57bwr4d5trbs7fvwz42cutjmiq-story.html |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Daily Press}}</ref>

At the beginning of the 2022 Virginia General Assembly session, she was elected House Majority Caucus Chair.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amandabatten.com/news-clips/#:~:text=Delegate%20Batten%20elected%20Chairwoman%20of%20House%20Republican%20Caucus%20and%20selected%20as%20member%20of%20the%20Commerce%20and%20Energy%2C%20Education%2C%20Public%20Safety%2C%20and%20Rules%20Committees | title=News Clips &#124; Amanda Batten &#124; Effective Leadership for Virginia }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.vpap.org/candidates/309907-amanda-batten/ Amanda Batten] at the Virginia Public Access Project

{{Virginia House of Delegates}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batten, Amanda}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Washington, D.C. Category:People from James City County, Virginia Category:Republican Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Category:Women state legislators in Virginia Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly