Ray Writz

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

Ray Writz

Constitution Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

DeVry Institute of Technology, 1972

Personal

Birthplace

Chicago, Ill.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Personal Facebook

Ray Writz (Constitution Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Idaho. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Ray Writz was born in Chicago, Illinois. Writz earned a degree in electronics from the DeVry Institute of Technology in 1972. His career experience includes owning a business and working as an accountant.

Elections

2022

See also: United States Senate election in Idaho, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Idaho

Incumbent Mike Crapo defeated David Roth, Scott Cleveland, Ray Writz, and Idaho Law in the general election for U.S. Senate Idaho on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Crapo (R)	60.7	358,539
		David Roth (D)	28.7	169,808
		Scott Cleveland (Independent)	8.4	49,917
		Ray Writz (Constitution Party)	1.4	8,500
		Idaho Law (L)	0.7	4,126

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 590,890
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Idaho

David Roth defeated Ben Pursley in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Roth	57.8	19,160
		Ben Pursley	42.2	13,987

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,147
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Theodore Nichols (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Idaho

Incumbent Mike Crapo defeated Scott Trotter, Brenda Bourn, Ramont Turnbull, and Natalie Fleming in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Crapo	67.1	177,906
		Scott Trotter	10.5	27,699
		Brenda Bourn	8.2	21,612
		Ramont Turnbull	7.9	20,883
		Natalie Fleming	6.4	16,902

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 265,002
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Mike Little (R)
• Jeremy Gilbert (R)

Constitution primary election

Constitution primary for U.S. Senate Idaho

Ray Writz advanced from the Constitution primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ray Writz	100.0	520

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 520
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Idaho

Idaho Law advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Idaho Law	100.0	673

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 673
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2020

See also: United States Senate election in Idaho, 2020

United States Senate election in Idaho, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

United States Senate election in Idaho, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Idaho

Incumbent Jim Risch defeated Paulette Jordan, Natalie Fleming, and Ray Writz in the general election for U.S. Senate Idaho on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Risch (R)	62.6	538,446
		Paulette Jordan (D)	33.2	285,864
		Natalie Fleming (Independent)	2.9	25,329
		Ray Writz (Constitution Party)	1.2	10,188

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 859,827
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Idaho

Paulette Jordan defeated James Vandermaas in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paulette Jordan	85.7	72,778
		James Vandermaas	14.3	12,145

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 84,923
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Travis Oler (D)
• Nancy Harris (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Idaho

Incumbent Jim Risch advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Risch	100.0	200,184

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 200,184
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: United States Senate election in Idaho, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated Idaho's U.S. Senate race as safely Republican. Incumbent Mike Crapo (R) defeated Jerry Sturgill (D) and Ray Writz (Constitution Party) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Crapo and Sturgill both ran unopposed in their respective party primaries. Writz defeated Pro-Life to win the Constitution Party nomination. The primary election were held on May 17, 2016.

U.S. Senate, Idaho General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Crapo Incumbent	66.1%	449,017
	Democratic	Jerry Sturgill	27.7%	188,249
	Constitution	Ray Writz	6.1%	41,677
Total Votes				678,943
Source: Idaho Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Idaho Constitution Party Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ray Writz	59.5%	131
Pro-Life	40.5%	89
Total Votes		220
Source: Idaho Secretary of State

2014

See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Idaho State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014. Mary Souza defeated incumbent John W. Goedde in the Republican primary and defeated Ray J. Writz (C) in the general election.

Idaho State Senate, District 4, General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mary Souza	74.6%	7,406
	Constitution	Ray J. Writz	25.4%	2,520
Total Votes				9,926

Idaho State Senate, District 4 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mary Souza	53.9%	1,853
John Goedde Incumbent	46.1%	1,587
Total Votes		3,440

2012

See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2012

Writz ran in the 2012 election for Idaho House of Representatives District 4A. He ran unopposed in the Constitution Party primary on May 15 and came in third against Janet Callen (D) and Luke Malek (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.

Idaho House of Representatives, District 4A, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Constitution	Luke Malek	57.5%	10,417
	Democratic	Janet Callen	38.7%	7,016
	Constitution	Ray J. Writz	3.8%	681
Total Votes				18,114

2010

See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2010

Writz ran in the 2010 election for Idaho State Senate District 4. Writz was unopposed in the Constitution Party primary election on May 25, 2010, and was defeated by John Goedde (R) in the general election on November 2, 2010.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ray Writz did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a father, husband, and Christian born in Chicago Illinois but raised in the state of Idaho.

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?

• The Second Amendment is essential to our liberty.
• Every human being is endowed by their Creator with the right to life.
• A strong national defense is the best deterrent to aggression.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Health care. Obamacare has been devastating for many in Idaho, precipitating the loss of insurance plans and doctors, and causing premiums to skyrocket. Obamacare must be repealed. Idaho deserve healthcare freedom. We must introduce free market principles that empower patients by giving more choices, at lower costs. Ray favors tax-free health savings accounts, portable insurance policies, and removing artificial state barriers that drive costs up.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Donald J. Trump and Ronald Reagan. Great leaders who represented our country in tremendous ways.

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

My political philosophy is really a combination of things read, viewed, and heard. I am very eclectic, I do not think any one thing can capture my philosophy.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Congruence-a genuineness and being authentic. No one is perfect, we all have faults. A strong leader is someone that is willing work with others, not always taking the lead, but understands sharing responsibility builds leadership and prepares the next person to take on the role of leadership.

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

I am a truly genuine person, flawed and all. I understand the importance of follow through and set SMART goals. I do not just listen to people, but actually hear them. I seek solutions, not obstacles. I am not always right and I accept and engage in learning opportunities. I seek wisdom and counselor from men and women that are professionals in their field.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Listen to the people that elected them to their respected office. Engage in making a difference for all not the select few. Build relationships and strengthen bipartisan approaches that foster improvements and not politics as usual.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Hope for a brighter tomorrow and taking initiative in securing a promising future for our country.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was in construction. I went into construction for about 2 years until I left to go back to school to learn accounting.

What is your favorite book? Why?

An American Life by Ronald Reagan.

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

Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA.

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

Equality for all!

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Our country has to focus on balancing a budget, being good stewards of our nation. We have to live within out means and realize the purpose of a budget is long term sustainability as a nation. Climate change is real, we are in a position today to help reverse the damage. Once we take action we can start moving forward on finding solutions if we all work together. Mental health in our youth, veterans, and senior citizens are extremely pressing. The number of mental health related incidents are increasing, limited resources, and limit personnel. The stigma of mental health is costing more lives today than any other time in our history.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Strength, our Senate has stood the test of time. The Senate is an institution is established. We know it can work. We know that if our leadership faced the facts they would know too that currently our government is being attacked within, this attack is more dangerously than any foreign power. We have to clean house and return to the basics. Look at the opportunity to grow, develop, and strengthen the country through cooperative relationships.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe that it is beneficial in the since that an American without experience should be dismissed. When our country was founded our government consisted of farmers, small business leaders, and yes politicians. I think that the diversity is important, I feel that we all govern throughout our life and have experiences that are relevant. If we get back to the basics and really center on the job at hand, past governmental experiences would not matter and we would probably get more done.

What do you think of the filibuster?

I feel strongly we have a right to take up a cause, that being said, the cause has to justify the means.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

I feel that the whole picture should be presented. I say that meaning, out past cannot define us, are adult actions should be the focal point of discussion. We often do not change to much, we might be better at hiding things, but the truth will come out. I think everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt, and let the evidence of their character define the person.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other senators?

Strong relationships are the fundamental key to growth, understanding and open communication that leads to compromise and action.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would like to work on committees that engage change. I feel that I lean more toward education, farming,military, foreign and domestic affairs committees. My first committee choice would be the Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee. This committee includes areas that I am passionate about like mental health care in schools. Second committee choice would be Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry our of default of coming from a rural community and state where agriculture is in fabric of many lives in Kentucky. Third committee choice would be Foreign Affairs, I feel that relationships are very important, building strong alliances will only strengthen our position as a world power. Fourth would be the Veterans or Homeland Security and Government Affairs. I feel that security is very important and those that provide us security should be allocated resources.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. Senate, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I would take a leadership role in US Senate, I think that most candidate that enter the race to be a lead. Not all can be a leader and not all leaders can lead. I think that leadership is about building and providing opportunities to create leaders.

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I honor and respect W. Ford from Kentucky. I had the honor and pleasure to meet and speak to him. He inspired me to make change in my own life. I have also admired T. Kennedy for his work in Congress. I also admire and respect B. Frank for being an open and breaking down barriers.

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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Footnotes

[show]

Idaho's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mike Crapo (R)

Jim Risch (R)

Representatives

District 1

Russ Fulcher (R)

District 2

Michael Simpson (R)

Republican Party (4)