News release from John Raney Campaign:
State Representative John Raney (R-Bryan-College Station) announced he will seek reelection to the Texas House of Representatives. Representative Raney was first elected to represent House District 14 in 2011. He currently serves on the Committees on Higher Education, House Administration, and Appropriations, where he also serves on the sub-committee that handles higher education funding.
“I am excited to announce that I will be seeking reelection to the Texas House of Representatives,” Representative Raney said. “The 84th Legislative Session was productive and successful and I know we will continue that momentum moving forward, not only for the betterment of our community but for the great state of Texas as a whole. We still have a lot of work to do to make sure that Texans are protected from over bearing federal regulations, and I look forward to being there for that fight.”
Representative Raney was successful in the passage of meaningful legislation, local and statewide, that focused on: military and law enforcement, higher education transparency and equity, consumer and taxpayer protections, border security, and local business development. His initiatives include providing a voice on the Blinn College Board of Trustees for the 14,000 underserved students at Blinn-Bryan, the return of millions of dollars to Brazos County to offset uncompensated health care costs that area hospitals have been experiencing and tax dollar savings through a proven program developed by Energy Systems Lab (ESL) of Texas A&M University System.
“As Secretary of the House Republican Caucus, John was a true asset in accomplishing our successful conservative agenda,” State Representative Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), Chairman of the House Republican Caucus said. “He has proven himself to be dependable and a man of principal, and we look forward to having him back next legislative session.”
Representative Raney has worked closely with local officials to ensure that the needs of Brazos County are a priority when the Legislature is in session.
“When the Sheriff’s Association needed legislation passed to help our community, I knew without a doubt that John could get the job done,” Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk said. “I asked John to file a bill that would help our Reserve Deputies as they are sworn in to serve the County. He did so and saw that the legislation passed successfully through the session. I appreciate that John followed through with what he said he would do.”
A sixth-generation Texan, Representative Raney was born April 4, 1947, moving to Bryan in 1960. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1965 and is a member of the Texas A&M Class of 1969, graduating with a BBA in Marketing. While in college, he founded Texas Aggieland Bookstore, which has now been in operation for forty-six years. He also served in the Texas Army National Guard as 1st Lieutenant from 1969 to 1975, and was an honor graduate of the USAR Basic Course and is Airborne qualified.
Representative Raney began his involvement in politics in the early 1970’s when he served as Chairman of the Republican Party of Brazos County. During his tenure as Chairman, he also served as Civic Division Vice President of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, chaired Senatorial District 5 caucus and began his almost four-decade membership in the National Federation of Independent Business, including serving as a board member. Representative Raney is a long-time member of the Texas Retailers Association, serving for many years on its Board of Directors and taking an active role on its Tax and Legislative Committee and Executive Committee. In 2010, John Raney was named the Outstanding Member of the Texas Retailers Association. Through these roles, John participated and testified in numerous committee hearings in the Texas Legislature.
While attending the Republican State Convention in 1972, John met his future wife, Elizabeth. They were married in 1974. John and Elizabeth have two daughters and sons-in-law, Beth and Grant Hawkins and Laura and Alex Scogin, and seven grandchildren. For over fifty years, Representative Raney and his family have been active members and served in many leadership roles at First United Methodist Church in Bryan and for over forty-five years, John has been an active participant in various Masonic bodies throughout Brazos Valley. John is actively involved in Aggie sports and many community organizations.
For information or comment, please visit Representative Raney’s campaign website, www.raneyfortexas.com , or call 979-383-2734.