John E. Raker

Who was John E. Raker?

John Edward Raker, was a Democratic Party Congressional representative for California. He was usually known as John E. Raker.

He was born near Knoxville, Knox County, Illinois, on February 22, 1863 and moved with his parents to Lassen County, California, in 1873. After attending public school and the State normal school at San Jose from 1882–1884, he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1885 and began practising law in Susanville. On December 6, 1886 he moved to Alturas. He was District Attorney of Modoc County from 1895–1899, Judge of the Superior Court of Modoc County from January 5, 1903, to December 19, 1910, when he resigned.

He married Iva G. Spencer on November 21, 1889.

In 1898 he stood as a candidate for the California state senate, and was a superior court judge in California, from 1905 until 1910.

Raker was chairman of the Democratic State central committee from 1908-1910. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Denver in 1908. Elected as a Democrat to the sixty-second United States Congress in 1911, and to the seven succeeding Congresses, he served from March 4, 1911 until his death in Washington, D.C. on January 22, 1926.