Senator James E. Carnes
Senator James E. Carnes, 84, of St. Clairsville, Ohio, passed away peacefully at his home on April 25, 2026. He was born on February 19, 1942, in Wheeling, West Virginia, a son of the late Edward A. and Avis E. (Hoop) Carnes of Flushing.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his loving wife of nearly 43 years, Frankie Lee Carnes, on June 23, 2025. They lived a beautiful and blessed life together, loving their large family and serving the people of southeastern Ohio for decades.
Jim’s memory will forever live in the hearts of those he leaves behind, including six children: Kelly Anne (Wally) McCabe of St. Clairsville; Jeffrey J. Carnes of Hilliard; Leslie Marie (Bill) Kutchell of St. Clairsville; J. Scott (Shelly) Carnes of St. Clairsville; Karen J. (Jim) Large of Belmont; and Kristi Lee Lipscomb, of St. Clairsville; nine grandchildren: Ashley (Doug) Sands, Amanda (Brad) Schrum, Morgan Large, Jessica (Matthew) Kennedy, Kayla (Andrew) Dixon, Matthew (Gabrielle) Carnes, Kristen (Shafique) Patterson, Julie Lipscomb, and Rebekah Large; nine great-grandchildren: Elizabeth Sands, Isabelle Schrum, Katherine Sands, Eliana Schrum, Ezra Dixon, Ella Kennedy, Elsie Kennedy, Milo Carnes, and Luke Dixon; sister, Cheryl E. (Donald) Eberhart of Barnesville, Ohio; brother-in-law, John L. (Alida) Martin of Richmond, Virginia; several nieces and nephews; and countless friends from across the State of Ohio.
A lifelong resident of Belmont County, Senator Carnes was a 1960 graduate of Flushing High School. He then attended Bethany College, Elliott’s School of Business, the College of Commerce in Wheeling, and the Ohio Insurance School in Columbus. He would dedicate his entire adult life to the Ohio coal industry, first working for C, V, & W Coal before beginning a fifty-seven year career with the Puskarich family and Cravat Coal Company, working his way from bookkeeper to office manager to administrative assistant, and then to Controller and Treasurer before becoming President of the company in 2010 and continuing in that position until the end of 2025 when he was given the honor of being named President-Emeritus.
Mr. Carnes was also the owner-operator of the former Plaza Motel and Carnes Mobile Home and Appliances in Barnesville.
Perhaps most notably, Mr. Carnes worked to promote and build the Republican Party in Belmont County and throughout eastern Ohio for more than fifty-five years. He was first elected Chairman of the Belmont County Republican Party in 1970 and served on the Central and Executive Committees for the remainder of his life. He would also serve on the Ohio Republican State Central and Executive Committees and was elected as a delegate to several Republican State and National Conventions, meeting several U.S. Presidents and forging lasting friendships with at least five Ohio Governors in the process.
Along with his wife, Carnes also served on the Belmont County Board of Elections for twenty-four years and as Chairman for the eleven years before his appointment to the Ohio Senate in 1995. Over the years, Mr. Carnes also served on the State Mining Board and spent fifteen years with the Ohio Commission on Aging, the Ohio Advisory Council on Aging, and the Area Agency of Aging. He was also a member of the President’s Club of The Ohio State University, the A.B. Graham Club, and the Ohio 4-H Foundation as well as a charter member of the Barnesville and St. Clairsville Education Foundations.
In 1995, Mr. Carnes was appointed to the Ohio Senate and for nine years would represent the largest geographic district in the state which included nine rural counties in eastern Ohio. He and Frankie Lee excelled at grassroots campaigning and loved traveling the district and meeting Ohioans from all walks of life. He was elected to the seat in 1996 and re-elected by an overwhelming majority in 2000. In the Senate, Carnes served on several prominent committees and most notably chaired the Energy, Natural Resources and Environment Committee as well as the powerful Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee and served on the State Controlling Board. He was the recipient of many awards over the years, including the Belmont County Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award and being named National Wildlife Federation Legislator of the Year by the League of Ohio Sportsmen in 2001 and the Ohio Environmental Council’s Legislator of the Year in 2002. Upon his retirement from the Senate, the James E. Carnes Center at the Belmont County Fairgrounds was named in his honor.
In spite of his conservative values and lifelong commitment to the Republican Party, Senator Carnes was known as a pragmatic legislator who was willing to work with both sides of the aisle to improve life for all Ohioans. In the process, he forged many life-long friendships with both Republicans and Democrats who admired him for his candor, decency, and willingness to work with anyone regardless of party affiliation. Even as his power and influence in Columbus increased, he never forgot who he was or where he came from.
Mr. Carnes served in the Ohio Senate until January 2004, when he was appointed by Ohio Governor Bob Taft to serve as the Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. He would later be appointed by Governor John Kasich to the Ohio Liquor Control Commission and re-appointed by Governor Mike DeWine. He would serve in this position until his retirement in 2025.
Above and beyond all the titles and accolades, Jim Carnes was a man of faith who loved his family, his country, and his God. His life was well-lived, and he will be remembered as a gracious man who dedicated his life to helping others.
Family and friends will be received on Sunday, May 3, from 2-8 pm at Toothman Funeral Home, 141 S. Marietta St., St. Clairsville. The funeral service will be held at the First Christian Church of Barnesville, 219 W. Church St., Barnesville, on Monday, May 4, at 2pm with Pastor Ed Eberhart officiating. Interment will immediately follow at Richland Cemetery, St. Clairsville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Tea of Hope Ministry or the Building Fund at First Christian Church of Barnesville, 219 West Church Street Barnesville, Ohio 43713.