Thomas BattenThomas Batten is an American politician. He served as a Republican member of the Nevada Assembly from 1994 to 1996 representing District 27.BackgroundBefore being elected to the legislature, Batten was a police officer who received a degree in police science from Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Along with Bernice Mathews and Maurice Washington who took office at the same time, Batten was the first Black member of the Nevada Legislature from outside Clark County.