Kris Warner
West Virginia's 31st Secretary of State
Kris Warner was elected West Virginia’s 31st Secretary of State on November 5, 2024. A proud West Virginian, he was raised in Kanawha County and attended West Virginia University.
Kris previously served as Chairman of the Monongalia County Republican Executive Committee and as Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party from 2000 to 2004. From 2012 to 2016, he served as West Virginia’s National Committeeman to the Republican National Committee.
In 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Kris as West Virginia State Director for USDA Rural Development. In that role, he led efforts to partner with state and local governments on more than $1.2 billion in investments over four years.
In 2021, Governor Jim Justice appointed Kris to serve as the Executive Director of the West Virginia Economic Development Authority. He worked closely with the Governor and state legislature to advance economic development initiatives supported by more than $2 billion in strategic state investments.
As Secretary of State, Kris serves as West Virginia’s Chief Elections Official and Chief Business Registration Officer. Secretary Warner oversees and manages the national award-winning WV One Stop Business Center that streamlines the new business registration process with offices in Charleston, Clarksburg, and Martinsburg. What used to take up to ten days to start a new business can now take less than two hours.
Under Secretary Warner’s leadership working closely with the WV Legislature, the WV Office of Entrepreneurship was established as the nation’s first statewide entrepreneurship ombudsman reporting to a statewide elected official. The WV Office of Entrepreneurship coordinates public and private resources and helps business entrepreneurs and founders navigate state agencies and permitting processes.
In September 2025, Kris was appointed Co-Chair of the Elections Committee for the National Association of Secretaries of State.
Kris and his wife, Joyce, a public school teacher in Kanawha County, have been married for 37 years. They have five children — two sons and three daughters — all of whom attended the United States Air Force Academy. They also have four grandchildren.
