Pike County Judge/Executive Ray S. Jones II

Pike County Judge/Executive Ray S. Jones II, was born in Whitesburg, Kentucky, and grew up in the Virgie community of Pike County.

He is a graduate of Virgie High School, Eastern Kentucky University, and the University of Louisville School of Law.  Upon graduating from law school, Judge Jones returned to Pike County where he served as a former assistant Pike County Attorney for a short time before entering private practice.  He was twice elected President of the Pike County Bar Association, and currently serves as the managing partner of The Law Offices of Ray S. Jones, P.S.C., a law firm whose practice is focused on complex litigation in the areas of personal injury, including products liability, medical malpractice, and business and insurance litigation. 

In 2000, Judge Jones was elected to the Kentucky State Senate.  He was subsequently re-elected in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.  During his tenure in the state Senate, Judge Jones was a strong advocate for Kentucky’s energy sector. Growing up in the heart of eastern Kentucky’s coalfields, Judge Jones uniquely understands the importance of coal to the economy and to Kentucky’s long-term energy needs. An advocate for public policy addressing energy legislation and investments for alternative energy, then Senator Jones served on the legislative working group that developed Kentucky’s comprehensive energy legislation to maximize the benefit from the commonwealth’s natural resources and help lead the way to energy independence. He is also a strong advocate for miners and miner safety, and helped author Kentucky’s landmark mine safety legislation.

As state Senator, Judge Jones passed important legislation such as the Blue Alert Law that created an emergency alert system to help catch persons suspected of injuring or killing a police officer, and one of the first bills in the nation to crack down on convicted sex offenders in Kentucky by requiring them to disclose their internet user names or other online identities to the Justice Cabinet. He also has been a leader in the battle against drug abuse and sponsored legislation to help curb the growing prescription drug epidemic in Kentucky. As state Senator, Judge Jones was a champion for  public education, and advocated for increased funding for secondary and post-secondary education.

While in the state Senate, Judge Jones served on such important Senate committees as Appropriations and Revenue, Education, Budget Review subcommittees on Justice and the Judiciary, Transportation, Judiciary; Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations; and Natural Resources and Energy, as well as the subcommittee on Energy.  In 2014, Judge Jones was chosen by his colleagues to serve as the Minority Floor Leader of the Kentucky State Senate, a position he held until January, 2019, when he was sworn in as Pike County Judge/Executive.   As Judge/Executive, he has been instrumental in stabilizing the county’s finances, re-organizing many areas of county government, and serving as the chief executive of Kentucky’s largest geographical county with a budget of more than $35 million dollars, and serving nearly 58,000 residents.  Judge Jones currently serves on the Executive Board of the Kentucky County Judge/Executive Association, and continues to maintain a busy law practice. In September 2021, Judge Jones was named Judge/Executive of the Year by the Kentucky Emergency Management Association, and was appointed to the Advisory Council for Recovery Ready Communities by Governor Beshear. Jones is a member of the American Association of Justice and the Kentucky Justice Association. Judge Jones is an instrument rated commercial pilot, licensed for both single and multi-engine aircraft, and is an avid golfer.

Judge Jones and his wife, Dr. Paula Jones, a family physician, have three children, Grayson Nathaniel, Lauren Elizabeth, and Lawson Bennett.  The Jones family resides in Pikeville.