Raymond Crews

{{short description|American politician}} {{use mdy dates|date=November 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | name=Raymond J. Crews | state_house=Louisiana | district=8th | term_start=April 2017 | predecessor=[[Mike Johnson]] | prior_term= | birth_date= | birth_place=[[Shreveport, Louisiana]], U.S. | party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | occupation=[[United States Air Force|Air Force]] pilot | alma_mater=[[Texas A&M University]] }}

'''Raymond J. Crews''' is a retired [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] pilot and small business owner. Since 2017, he is a member of the [[Louisiana House of Representatives]]. He is the Vice Chairman of the [[Louisiana Freedom Caucus]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Donoghue |first=Julie |date=2024-01-24 |title=Louisiana elected officials helped fund PAC that sent anti-LGBTQ+ texts to voters • Louisiana Illuminator |url=https://lailluminator.com/2024/01/24/louisiana-elected-officials-helped-fund-pac-that-sent-anti-lgbtq-texts-to-voters/ |access-date=2025-12-24 |website=Louisiana Illuminator |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Early life, education and career== Raymond J. Crews was born in south [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]]. His family moved to the Northeast, and he went to high school there.<ref name="ALT">{{cite web|url=http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/local-news/raymond-crews-candidate-profile-for-district-8-race/676591552|title=LA House District 8 race: Raymond Crews running for House seat|author=Alex Meachum|publisher=ArkLaTex|date=March 20, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>

Crews holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from [[Texas A&M University]].<ref name="NPAC" />

Crews spent an overall 17 years in the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]], 9 of which in active duty, which included combat operations in [[Iraq]]. During 8 years in the Air Force Reserve, where he was a pilot for [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]] bombers,<ref name="NPAC">{{cite web|url=http://northpacla.org/news/northpac-endorses-crews-in-bossier-house-race/|title=NORTHPAC Endorses Crews in Bossier House Race|author=Brian Landry|publisher=NORTHPAC Political Action Committee|date=February 6, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> he took part in combat operations in Iraq and [[Afghanistan]].<ref name="RC">{{cite web|url=https://www.raymondcrews.com/bio/|title=Raymond Crews|publisher=Raymond Crews|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Barbara Leader|date=April 29, 2017|title=Crews wins District 8 House race|work=Shreveport Times|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2017/04/29/crews-wins-district-8-house-race/101083150/|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref>

After leaving active duty, Crews became an [[Airline]] pilot and flew [[Boeing 727|B-727]], [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|DC-9]], and [[Airbus A320 family|A-320]] [[Civil aviation|civilian aircraft]] for 17 years.<ref name="RC" /> Today, he operates small businesses, including an Aerial Mapping Service named "Infrared Services LLC" and a small business consulting on building energy performance named "The Green Home Advantage LLC". He holds 33% percent of the stakes of each company. In 2016, Crews has been a full-time employee [[Delta Air Lines]] as a pilot and worked for Diabetes Assessment & Management Centers part-time.<ref name="LBOE">{{cite web|url=http://ethics.la.gov/PFDisclosure/PFD17000262/EthicsDisclosureDownload.pdf|title=Tier 2 Personal Financial Disclosure Statement|publisher=Louisiana Board of Ethics|date=January 19, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>

==Political positions== Crews is a Christian conservative, with respect to both social and fiscal aspects. He believes in the right to life starting at conception<ref name="Ballotpedia" /> and believes that the [[United States]] were founded on the basis of [[Judeo-Christian]] principles, of which the Constitutions rights are a result. He supports the view that being an American presupposes the recognition of those rights, the acknowledgement of the inherent dignity and the freedom of religion of each individual. Crews defends the right to bear arms<ref name="Ballotpedia" /> and stands for a strong [[national security]], through the support of U.S. troops, a well-financed military and an improved [[Cyber security standards|cyber security]] infrastructure. Part of his fight for personal freedom is the conviction that a small government with limited tax burdens for the citizens is the best way of promoting a good business climate with quality jobs for his constituency, and also the U.S. as a whole.<ref name="RC" />

==Member of the House of Representatives of Louisiana== ===Elections=== On April 29, 2017, Crews defeated his competitor Robbie Gatti, the brother of [[State Senator]] [[Ryan Gatti]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2017/03/25/crews-gatti-move-state-house-race-replace-mike-johnson/99600032/|title=Crews, Gatti move on in state house race to replace Mike Johnson|author=Seth Dickerson|newspaper=Shreveport Times|date=March 25, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> a [[Baptists|Baptist]] minister and retired [[Physical therapy|physical therapist]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://labi.org/newsroom/labi-talks-priorities-for-upcoming-legislative-session|title=LABI Talks Priorities for Upcoming Legislative Session|author=Seth Dickerson |newspaper=Shreveport Times|date=March 29, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> by a vote of 64 to 36 percent.<ref name="Ballotpedia">{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Raymond_Crews|title=Raymond Crews|publisher=Ballotpedia|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>

Crews was sworn in May 10, 2017, to represent District 8 in Louisiana's House of Representatives at [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]], replacing [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Mike Johnson]] after Johnson was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] in December 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/04/29/crews-wins-district-8-house-race/101083150/|title=Crews wins District 8 House race|author=Barbara Leader|newspaper=USA Today |date=April 29, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> He was sworn in by former House District 8 legislator and current Louisiana 26th [[Court|Judicial Court]] Judge [[Jeff R. Thompson]]. During the event, Crews said that he wanted to be among the "defenders of liberty in the political realm", realizing the great potential of the people and natural resources of [[Louisiana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bossierpress.com/new-la-house-member-crews-sworn-in/|title=New LA House member Crews sworn in|publisher=BPT Online|date=May 10, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>

===Support=== On February 6, 2017, NORTHPAC, a [[Political Action Committee]] (PAC) of the [[Louisiana Association of Business and Industry]] (LABI) published their endorsement of Crews in his campaign for Louisiana House District 8. NORTHPAC supports candidates who stand for [[Free market]] principles.<ref name="NPAC" />

On April 5, 2017, [[List of attorneys general of Louisiana|Louisiana Attorney General]] [[Jeff Landry]] endorsed Crews, who said that this was not only "extremely encouraging", but also "validates the principles and priorities of the campaign". Only a few days earlier, Crews had also been endorsed by Former Louisiana House of Representatives District 8 candidate Patrick Harrington<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/04/03/patrick-harrington-endorses-raymond-crews-district-8-house-race/99977182/|title=Patrick Harrington endorses Raymond Crews for House District 8 race|author=Seth Dickerson|newspaper=USA Today |date=April 3, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> and Congressman [[Mike Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehayride.com/2017/04/jeff-landry-endorses-raymond-crews-in-runoff/|title=Jeff Landry Endorses Raymond Crews In Runoff|author=Kevin Boyd|publisher=The Hayride|date=April 5, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>

===Committees=== Representative Crews is a member of the following Legislative Committees:<ref name="VS">{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/176066/raymond-crews#.WjVHq1XiaUk|title=Raymond Crews' Biography|publisher=Vote Smart|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> * Administration of Criminal Justice * Civil Law and Procedure * Labor and Industrial Relations * Military and Veterans Affairs

===Electoral history=== In a vote on May 17, 2017, the House Committee on the Administration of [[Criminal Justice]] blocked a vote to end capital punishment in the state of Louisiana by a 9–8 vote. Raymond J. Crews was amongst those who voted against abolition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/death_penalty_abolishment_bill.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517230359/http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/death_penalty_abolishment_bill.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 17, 2017|title=Death penalty upheld as Louisiana House panel blocks move to abolish it|author=Julia O'Donoghue|newspaper=The Times-Picayune|date=May 17, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref> Two days later, he voted against a successful 7–6 decision to prohibit anyone in Louisiana to hand over fully automatic weapons to children 12 or younger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/no_machine_guns_for_kids.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519220033/http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/no_machine_guns_for_kids.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 19, 2017|title=No machine guns for Louisiana kids, House committee decides|author=LSU Manship School News Service|newspaper=The Times-Picayune|date=May 19, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>

==Personal life== Crews is married to his wife Dianah, a chemist and science teacher at Providence Classical Academy.<ref name="LBOE" /> The couple has two children.<ref name="VS" /> Crews and his wife have been residents and homeowners in [[Bossier Parish, Louisiana|Bossier parish]] for 20 years.<ref name="ALT" /> Crews is a past Chairman of Deacons and Sunday School Teacher at First Bossier Baptist Church.<ref name="NPAC" /> He is an advisory board member at DiAMC (Diabetes Assessment & Management Centers).<ref name="RC" /> Ute Ingrid Neumann Crews, his mother, died in a car accident on April 27, 2018, at the age of 76.<ref>{{cite news |title= Mother of Rep. Raymond Crews dies in accident |date=April 27, 2018 |publisher=[[KTBS-TV]] |url=https://www.ktbs.com/news/mother-of-rep-raymond-crews-dies-in-accident/article_3fa7ea42-4a7b-11e8-a012-6ffc7794449d.html}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/members.aspx?ID=8 Louisiana House of Representatives] {{Louisiana House of Representatives |state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crews, Raymond J.}} [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Christians from Louisiana]] [[Category:Republican Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives]] [[Category:21st-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature]] [[Category:Politicians from Baton Rouge, Louisiana]] [[Category:Military personnel from Baton Rouge, Louisiana]] [[Category:Texas A&M University alumni]] [[Category:Delta Air Lines people]]