Kris Raynes

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Kris Raynes

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 9, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

South Charleston, W.Va.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Prosecutor

Contact

Campaign website

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Kris Raynes ran for election for judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. She lost in the general election on June 9, 2020.

Raynes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kris Raynes was born in South Charleston, West Virginia. She earned an undergraduate degree from Marshall University in 1996. She earned a graduate degree from the University of Akron School of Law in 2000. Raynes' career experience includes working as a prosecutor, as a faculty member with the National District Attorneys Association, as a teacher with the organization ChildFirst and with West Virginia State University, and as a bar grader with the West Virginia Supreme Court Board of Law Examiners.

Elections

2020

See also: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals elections, 2020

General election

General election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

William Wooton defeated Joanna I. Tabit, Kris Raynes, and Jim Douglas in the general election for Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		William Wooton (Nonpartisan)	30.8	117,927
		Joanna I. Tabit (Nonpartisan)	29.6	113,116
		Kris Raynes (Nonpartisan)	19.9	76,191
		Jim Douglas (Nonpartisan)	19.7	75,247

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 382,481
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kris Raynes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Raynes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a career prosecutor with 20 years of experience on the State and Federal level. I specialize in prosecuting serious felonies and the majority of child abuse and child sexual abuse cases in the Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. I am the sole conservative running in Division 2. I am proud of my conservative background and values and I plan on bringing that to the Court.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am a strong believer in judges interpreting the law, not creating the law..
• I am a constitutional originalist, which means that I believe in the plain meaning and original intent of the framers or the legislature. The judiciary should not be changing the meaning or intent of the laws or the constitution with the sign of the times. The Constitution should be the same as yesterday, today, and tomorrow to help citizens be aware of the rule of law.
• The three branches of government were created to check and balance each respective branch. This is to ensure that no one branch can exceed its designed power.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

West Virginia's opioid crisis and its shortage of foster care parents are the two most pressing issues affecting this State. I believe it is imperative for the Court to research some kind of solutions because each remedy could have drastic consequences relating to dockets in every county in West Virginia. I also theorize that finding the solution to one of these problems will also provide potential solutions for the other, in that I believe there is a definite cause and effect reaction between addiction and most abuse and neglect cases in this State.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Making Your Case, by Antonin Scalia and Bryan A. Garner

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

As a criminal prosecutor, I have been holding people accountable for their actions for 20 years. I am ready to bring that accountability to the West Virginia Supreme Court to make it accountable to the citizens of West Virginia.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I was fair, honest, and just.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember when President Reagan was shot. I believe I was in kindergarten at the time. I started paying more and more attention to the news after that because it was such a shock. I also remember, years later, Reagan's speech regarding the deaths of the Challenger astronauts..."We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'"

What is your favorite book? Why?

To Kill a Mockingbird because it was the book that made me love the law.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Scout Finch. She tells it like it is, has a pure heart, but is always open to instruction on how to live an honest life.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"It's Tricky," by Run DMC.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Competitiveness.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I am a constitutional originalist, which was an ideology made popular by Antonin Scalia. I believe in the plain meaning of the statute/constitution and to decide according to the original intent of the framers/legislators.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Antonin Scalia is my judicial role model. He was strong in his convictions and beliefs and his opinions are a pleasure to read.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy is not only important for judges but it is for human beings in general. The law is not always "black and white," or else we would never need judges. It is a judge's responsibility to try to obtain all the facts and circumstances as much as possible in order to make an informed and just decision.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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