Delegate Suzette Raines, R-Kanawha
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Republican Delegate Suzette Raines, the subject of recent Democratic accusations about her residency and her financial disclosures, is withdrawing from the West Virginia House of Delegates race and will seek to have her name removed from November’s ballot.
“This has been a paralyzing experience that has disabled me from moving on with my life and now every day the Democratic Party is attacking me,” Raines said in a prepared statement. “It is sad that someone who wants to serve and do what is right for the people is deterred by those who put partisan politics above all else.”
Raines said she had been working with state officials to resolve the accusations against her.
“Ultimately it’s a personal decision on her part, it doesn’t have anything to do with the claims that were made and whether they’re true or not,” said Marc Williams, Raines’ attorney. “Being in a protracted legal battle was not in her best interests.”
Raines represents the 35th District, which includes the South Hills area of Charleston and western Kanawha County. She will serve out the remainder of her term, which runs through January.
In July, the West Virginia Democratic Party filed legal complaints against Raines, alleging that she failed to file five consecutive campaign finance reports with the secretary of state and a 2014 financial disclosure form with the state Ethics Commission. As of the day of the Democratic filing, the Secretary of State’s Office had no reports from Raines for the 2014 election cycle.
The Democrats sought to have Raines removed from the November ballot…
