Candidate Connection - JOHN RAESE

For United States Senate



www.raeseforsenate.org

About John

Morgantown businessman John R. Raese is a Republican candidate for the United States Senate.

A native son and lifelong resident of West Virginia, John has a personal and family track record of creating good jobs in the private sector. Raese serves as president and CEO of Greer Industries, which include Greer Limestone, Greer Lime, Greer Steel and Preston County Coal and Coke. He is also Chairman of the Board of West Virginia Radio Corporation, which owns 25-radio stations across the state and is founder of the respected METRONEWS Radio Network, which has 56-affiliates reaching every part of the state. John is also vice-president of the Dominion Post, a daily Morgantown newspaper with a circulation of approximately 30,000. His newest launch was Pikewood Creative, a high-end video post-production house and creative agency located in the Suncrest district of Morgantown. In 2011 Pikewood won a prestigious Emmy award for creative excellence.

Growing up in University City, the son of the late Jane Greer Raese and former WVU basketball coach Richard A. “Dyke” Raese, John attended public schools and earned a B. S. degree from West Virginia University in 1973 where he played freshman basketball and varsity baseball. His love for the state attracted him to stay after graduation to build upon and grow the family business which has deep roots in West Virginia and beyond. His namesake grandfather started hauling goods with a team of horses in picturesque Davis, West Virginia, before he was able to open a successful general merchandise store. His maternal great-grandfather was one of the most prominent businessmen and community leaders of Dover/New Philadephia, Ohio. His businesswoman grandmother and engineer grandfather, Agnes and Herbert Greer, moved to Morgantown almost a century ago and established the firm foundation that has provided thousands of good jobs for West Virginians for more than half the state’s history.

Despite a long list of business accomplishments throughout a lifetime, John is most proud of his family – wife Liz and two wonderful daughters, Jane and Agnes. Liz is the founder of the Conservative Women of West Virginia, a growing group of activists charting a conservative path for the Mountain State.

An avid sportsman and hunter, John also adopted his father’s love of the game of golf. He cut out a five hundred acre track of Greer land on Monongalia County’s Kingwood Pike, where he designed and developed Pikewood National Golf Club. In 2009 Pikewood earned the distinguished honor of “Best New Private Course” in the nation by Golf Digest Magazine and last year was named one of the world’s top ten “one hit wonders” by Links Magazine joining courses such as Pine Valley, Oakmont and Pebble Beach as the best golf courses designed by a first time architect. John designed Pikewood with fellow Greer executive Bob Gwynne.

John’s background has given him strongly held West Virginia values based on faith, hard work and family. He advocates less government intrusion into our lives and more personal freedom. He remains committed to providing a level playing field and promotes fair competition as essential ingredients to a vibrant, prosperous and growing America.

In 2010 more than 230,000 West Virginians stood with John Raese in opposition to Washington’s take over of our freedoms, fortunes and futures. They backed John’s commitment to both fiscal and personal responsibility.

John Raese is a businessman, a family man and – first and foremost – a West Virginian.

Candidate Connection - STEVE CONNOLLY

For West Virginia Treasurer


www.connollyfortreasurer.com

About Steve

On January 26, 2012 current Putnam County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Stephen "Steve" Connolly, filed to seek the Office of West Virginia State Treasurer.


A 1992 graduate of Nitro High School and son of a retired Police Officer, Steve joined the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office in 2002 immediately upon graduating from West Virginia University's College of Law. He rose through the ranks of the office, ultimately being promoted to handling a growing felony case load and supervising the Magistrate Court prosecutors who were his successors. Steve continues to handle some of the most complex and difficult cases in the office. He has successfully tried before juries several dozen serious and high profile cases - including Murder, Sexual Assault, Arson, DUI Causing Death, Child Abuse and Meth Labs. Steve regularly indicts and litigates the largest number of cases in the office and has arguably the best trial record and highest conviction rate among his peers - a 93% conviction rate.

Steve has been fully committed to the citizens of West Virginia throughout his professional career. He has served as a volunteer firefighter for nineteen (19) years; as a fire investigator in the County for nearly six (6) years; as the Prosecuting Attorney for the City of Hurricane for nearly five (5) years; and as an assistant prosecutor now entering his tenth (10) year. Steve's wife, Jill, also works for the Putnam County Fire Board. Steve holds degrees in Christian Psychology, Criminal Justice and Fire Science. Steve has three (3) sons [ages: 15/8/3] - one attending Hurricane High School and one who attends Mountain View Elementary. He and his family attend River Ridge Church in Teays Valley.

Candidate Connection - BILL MALONEY

For West Virginia Governor



Facebook -- http://facebook.com/MaloneyforWV
Twitter -- http://twitter.com/MaloneyforWV
YouTube -- http://youtube.com/user/MaloneyforWV

About Bill

Bill Maloney was the 2011 Republican nominee for governor of West Virginia. A proven job creator, Maloney has built his own businesses and provided jobs to hundreds of West Virginia families. Maloney isn’t a career politician, and he will bring real-world experience and a fresh approach to Charleston. He believes in lower taxes, smaller government and more opportunity. Maloney’s 'can-do' attitude helped to save the lives of 33 trapped Chilean miners recently. Maloney and his wife Sharon live in Morgantown and attend Chestnut Ridge Church. They have two grown daughters, with a grandchild on the way.

Candidate Connection - JOHN YODER

For West Virginia Supreme Court



www.judgeyoder.com
Facebook page: John Yoder for WV Supreme Court.

About John

Judge John Yoder is running as a Republican for a 12 year term on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. There are 2 open seats on the Supreme Court in the 2012 election.

Judge Yoder is currently a Circuit Judge in the 23rd Judicial Circuit of West Virginia. He holds court in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties, and is the supervising judge in Morgan County. He has a very distinguished career, which includes service in all three branches of government as well as a career in the private sector.

After serving four years as a state circuit judge from 1976-1980, Judge Yoder was the only person selected in a national competition to serve at the United States Supreme Court as a Supreme Court Fellow in 1980. After his service as a Fellow, the Chief Justice of the United States hired him to work on his staff. President Reagan next appointed him to establish and run a new subdivision at the U.S. Department of Justice. After that, he was elected as and served as a West Virginia State Senator for eight years prior to getting elected as a Circuit Judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit in 2008.

Judge Yoder has been a voice for judicial reform and positive change in the judicial system. He strongly believes in the rule of law and in upholding the fairness and integrity of the judicial system. He also seeks to break the stranglehold of the Charleston political establishment on the State Supreme Court, so that disenfranchised areas outside of Charleston have representation on the Supreme Court. Four justices are now from Charleston and one is from Huntington. The Charleston area only makes up 10% of the State’s population. Yoder believes the other 90% should receive fair representation on the Supreme Court.

Judge Yoder holds a B.A. degree with majors in government and economics from Chapman University, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas School of Law, and an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. He is also a graduate of several programs at the National Judicial College and the National College of Juvenile Justice.

In 2010, Judge Yoder was the Republican Nominee for a 2 year unexpired term for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. In the general election, he was narrowly defeated by the incumbent, Justice Thomas McHugh, by a margin of 50.8% to 49.2%. Judge Yoder expanded only approximately $6,000 in the race compared to nearly $300,000 expanded by his opponent. Justice McHugh is not running for re-election in 2012, so he will not be running against an incumbent this year as he was in 2010.

Candidate Connection - ALLEN LOUGHRY

For West Virginia Supreme Court






















www.allenloughry.com
Facebook page: Allen Loughry for Supreme Court

Allen H. Loughry II, holds four separate law degrees including an S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science), from The American University, Washington College of Law; an LL.M. (Master of Laws in Criminology and Criminal Justice) from the University of London; an LL.M. (Master of Laws in Law and Government) from The American University, Washington College of Law; and a JD from Capital University School of Law, in addition to studying law at the University of Oxford. Loughry also obtained a B.S. in Journalism degree from West Virginia University.

Loughry has served as a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the West Virginia Attorney General's Office and has argued more than twenty cases before the West Virginia Supreme Court as well as argued or filed legal pleadings in the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeal for the Fourth Circuit, the United States District courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia and Southern District of Florida, as well as various other legal forums. He also served as a Special Assistant to a United States Congressman and as a Direct Aide to a West Virginia Governor. He has worked for the Ohio Supreme Court; served as a personal assistant to a county prosecutor; was appointed as a special prosecuting attorney; wrote for two newspapers and the Associated Press; and assisted with or ran various political campaigns at the local, state, and national levels.

Loughry, the author of Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won’t Pay for a Landslide, teaches at the University of Charleston and is running in the 2012 election as a Republican candidate for the West Virginia Supreme Court. Loughry currently serves as a lawyer to the West Virginia Supreme Court and resides with his wife, Kelly, and their son, Justus, in Charleston. Loughry may be contacted at www.allenloughry.com and at his Facebook page "Allen Loughry for Supreme Court."

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