Rahall was born in Beckley. He is of Lebanese descent. His father was a business owner, including radio stations in West Virginia. Rahall graduated in 1971 from Duke University. He attended graduate school at the George Washington University. He then went to work for the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd.
In 2004, the Los Angeles Times ran an article about Rahall and his sister, lobbyist Tanya Rahall. They reported that she made $15,000 per month as a lobbyist for Qatar and that “the person she frequently lobbies is...her older brother and one of Qatar’s biggest champions in Washington.” Rahall said “our paths cross professionally, but not across any lines appropriately established by law or House rules.”
Rahall has expressed concern about America’s relationship with Israel. He said, “Israel can’t continue to occupy, humiliate and destroy the dreams and spirits of the Palestinian people and continue to call itself a democratic state.”
In March 2008, Nick Rahall endorsed Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee for president, saying Obama understands the needs and aspirations of West Virginians.
In an interview with Keith Olbermann, Rahall said that Obama had the courage and conviction to win the presidency, and that the then-senator was a true agent for change.
Rahall accepts the scientific consensus on global warming, saying to the Register-Herald that denial of climate change is “to just put your head in the sand.”
In March 2010, Rahall voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as ObamaCare. In May 2013, Rahall voted against a resolution to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Rotten to then core.