Jay Edwards (politician)

Jay Edwards is an American politician serving as a State Representative in the Ohio House of Representatives for the 94th District. He is a Republican. The 94th district consists of Meigs County, as well as portions of Athens, Vinton, and Washington counties. Edwards additionally serves as the Majority Whip of the Ohio House.

Jay Edwards
Majority Whip of the Ohio House of Representatives
Assumed office
February 6, 2019
Preceded byTom Patton
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 94th District
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byDebbie Phillips
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceNelsonville, Ohio
Alma materOhio University

Life and career

Edwards was born and raised in Nelsonville, Ohio, where he graduated from Nelsonville-York High School and still resides today. After high school he attended nearby Ohio University on a football scholarship, where he studied mathematics. In an interview Edwards disclosed during senior year of college, a medical condition led to an illness that didn’t allow him to finish his coursework at OU, and so he never earned his degree.[1] Edwards is a licensed realtor, and recently begun work in medical sales within the drug treatment market.[2]

The Edwards family has long roots in Nelsonville, where his uncle recently served as city manager.

Ohio House of Representatives

In 2016, Representative Debbie Phillips was term-limited and ineligible to run for a fifth term.[3] A Democrat, Phillips had only faced one serious election in her four terms, in 2014, where she won by just over 100 votes. However, despite Athens County, the largest in the district, being considered reliably Democratic, Republicans had historically seen success in winning the district prior to Phillips' taking the seat.[4] Democrats nonetheless fielded Sarah Grace, a small-business owner from Athens who was a newcomer to politics and a liberal. Despite being considered the favorite, Edwards raised considerable money, albeit not without controversy.[5] In the end, in what was a very good year for Republicans, Edwards defeated Grace by a 58% to 42% margin, taking the seat.[6]

Edwards is the first Republican to hold the seat since Jimmy Stewart held the seat from 2003 to 2008.[7]

In 2018, Edwards defeated Democrat Taylor Sappington to retain the seat.[8]

In the 2020 general election, Edwards faces Democrat Katie O'Neill.[9]

Ties to Indicted House Speaker and FirstEnergy Scandal

In 2018, Edwards aligned with Larry Householder in his bid to be elected Speaker of the Ohio House in a direct challenge to then-speaker Ryan Smith. In the GOP primary, Edwards made contributions from his own reelection campaign account to GOP candidates believed to be loyal to Householder, giving $97,500 in all to 12 Householder-aligned primary candidates whose success would be vital to Householder's attempt to take on Smith in the January 2019 vote.[10] Upon his reelection to the House and the ascendance of Householder as Speaker, in February of 2019, Edwards was chosen to serve on Householder's leadership team as Majority Whip in the Ohio House.[11]

Also in 2019, Edwards was one of 51 members of the Ohio House to vote for final passage of House Bill 6,[12] controversial legislation to bail out failing nuclear and coal power plants passed as part of a $61 million pay-to-play scheme, designed and executed by Householder and financed by the FirstEnergy Corporation and its allies in the coal industry. The scheme is currently the subject of an FBI investigation that has already resulted in the arrest of Householder and 4 co-conspirators. Edwards took $8,708 in campaign contributions from FirstEnergy's political action committee prior to the passage of HB6.[13]

In 2020, after the FBI arrested Larry Householder and his colleagues voted to replace him as Speaker, Edwards was asked by newly-elected Speaker Bob Cupp to step down as Majority Whip to make way for a new leadership team unconnected to Householder, but refused.[14]

Electoral history
Election results
Year Office Election Votes for Edwards % Opponent Party Votes %
2016 Ohio House of Representatives General 28,649 57.80% Sarah Grace Democrat 20,897 42.20%
2018 General 23,562 58.29% Taylor Sappington Democrat 16,855 41.71%

References
  1. "Introducing the 'other candidate'". Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  2. "Jay Edwards biography". Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  3. "Sarah Grace outraises Jay Edwards after trailing him prior to primary". Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  4. "Political parties contributed big-time in Ohio House race". Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  5. DeWitt, David. "House Dems drop election complaint against Jay Edwards". Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  6. "Jay Edwards wins Ohio's 94th district". Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  7. "Edwards takes Ohio's 94th District seat - The New Political". Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  8. "Rep. Edwards re-elected to Ohio Statehouse". Athens Messenger. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  9. "Meet the Candidate: State Rep. 94th District". The Daily Sentinel. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  10. "Householder backers shower his House candidates with money". Columbus Dispatch. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  11. "Rep. Jay Edwards named Ohio House Majority Whip". The Daily Sentinel. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  12. "House Bill 6: Votes". Ohio Legislature. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  13. "FirstEnergy PAC writes big checks to House speaker hopeful Larry Householder, campaign allies". Cleveland.com. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  14. "Speaker Cupp called on Edwards to step down as majority whip. He refused". Athens News. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by
Debbie Phillips		 Ohio House of Representatives, 94th District
2017–present		 Incumbent
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