Chris Kinney Files to Run for Seat on City Council
By Jeff Toquinto on April 08, 2025
The sixth name to fill one of the seats on City Council in the upcoming Bridgeport Municipal election is in place. This past Friday, April 4, Chris Kinney filed seeking his first four-year term.
The election is on June 10, 2025. On the ballot are the position of mayor and three seats on City Council.
Kinney was born and raised in Bridgeport. He is a U.S. Army veteran who worked at the FBI CJIS facility in Clarksburg after 10 years for an opportunity to train the next generation of leaders for the United States Army. Currently, he is a contracted instructor for ROTC at West Virginia University.
“I’ve been contemplating (running) for a while. The primary reason is I love this town, and I was born and raised here,” he said. “I was fortunate to have a great and interesting life set up by the foundation provided by this community, and the education, provided here, that did/Kinney%20Files.jpg)
right by me. The community was so important to me that when I was briefly away I knew this was where I wanted to live and raise my kids. It’s time to give back.”
right by me. The community was so important to me that when I was briefly away I knew this was where I wanted to live and raise my kids. It’s time to give back.”
If elected and given a chance to provide public service in an elected capacity, Kinney said he will focus on service to the city.
“I really don’t have a particular agenda,” he said. “It’s more about service and leadership … I want to give back to the city and appreciate how the city has been run during my time here. I will say it may be time to relook at the city charter since it is about 30 years old and, not being critical of anyone else, but a commonsense approach with the greater good in mind is something I would stress … It’s okay to talk about things and even disagree respectfully because that leads to good discourse and discussion.”
Kinney said his initial stab at education after his school at West Virginia University did not go as hoped. Eventually, he joined the enlisted ranks at the West Pointe Preparatory School and then earned the right to join the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated from there in 1996.
Kinney is a past member of the board at the Clarksburg Mission, as well as a past president of that group’s board of directors. He also coached Little League, Jerry West and youth football in Bridgeport and is a volunteer on the chain crew at the Bridgeport High School football home games.
The 54-year-old is a 1988 graduate of Bridgeport High School. Outside of his education and brief period of time in Ohio, he has spent his entire life in the city.
Kinney and his wife Diane have two adult children, Tim and Sarah. They also have a granddaughter, Rose.
Already, Clayton Rice and Robert G. Matheny have filed for the seat of mayor. Jon Griffith had filed to run for mayor, but announced he is dropping out of the race land resigned, effectively immediately, from Council on Wednesday, March 5.
The Council seats of Griffith, John Wilson and Jason Campbell are also up. Campbell and Wilson filed to run for another term, while Jesse Isner, Jaclyn Rominger, and Joe Earley have also filed.
Filing fee to run is $25 and due at the time of filing. The filing period began Monday, Jan. 13. Candidates have until 4 p.m. on April 10 to file, which is 90 days from the start of the filing period.
Additional information on filing requirements and procedures, absentee voting procedures, and other information can be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office. Individuals looking to become poll workers can also contact the City Clerk’s Office. City Clerk Lauren Rogers can be reached at 304-842-8235 or via email at lrogers@bridgeportwv.gov.
Information on the election can be found at the city’s Website by clicking HERE.
Editor's Note: Candidates filing for office can inform City Clerk Lauren Rogers to provide a phone number to Connect-Bridgeport and you will be contacted. Candidate stories will be done in the order in which they were filed if able to be contacted.
