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11/7/2018
Republican Jay Edwards won the race for State Representative of the 94th District, beating Democrat Taylor Sappington 58.29%-41.71% with 98% of precincts reporting in Ohio.
Jay Edwards, a Nelsonville native, is a graduate of Ohio University. He is currently the incumbent for the 94th district.
Edwards is a member of the Athens Area, Nelsonville, Belpre, Meigs County and Marietta Area Chamber of Commerces. He is also a member of Nelsonville Rotary, the Farm Bureau and National Rifle Association. Edwards is also an appointed member of the Athens County Transportation Improvement District and the Meigs County Transportation Improvement District.
Blake Nissen | PHOTO EDITOR
Representative Jay during a debate against Taylor Sappington on October 29, 2018.
Edwards plans on continuing to work for funding of schools, reducing the amount of standardized testing, restoring local government funds, reducing the cost of higher education, the opioid crisis and expanding opportunity in Southeast Ohio.
“We have generational poverty and a lack of opportunity,” Edwards said in an email. “I have worked on many initiatives with Democrats and Republicans in Columbus and on the local level. I have also built a broad based network of area business and organizational leaders. Together we make progress everyday.”
The median income in Athens in $22,204 and the poverty rate is 54.7% according to a report from 24/7 Wall Street. The report rates Athens as number eight in a list of “America’s Poorest Towns.”
“We are working on many projects right here in this region both across the aisle and with fellow Republicans to figure out poverty issues and address them,” Edwards said in a debate with Sappington.
Edwards will continue to fight for fair funding and local control for schools so more time can be spent teaching students, according to his campaign website.
In regard to the opioid crisis, Edwards will work with law enforcement and community leaders to make sure Southeast Ohio has the resources it needs to keep drugs off the streets and expand drug counseling and rehabilitation, according to his campaign website.
Edwards has made the goal to simply show up and listen to what his constituents care about during his campaign.
“A State Representative is supposed to go to Columbus to represent the people in that district,” Edwards said in an email. “The only way to do that is to show up, be accessible, and listen to the issues and ideas that people have.”
Edwards and his opponent agree on a lot of issues, Edwards said in an email. Differences become clear in Edwards’ attempt to always remain bipartisan to issues.
“I do not look at ANYTHING from the perspective of a Democrat or Republican. For me, it is about right versus wrong, not right versus left,” Edwards said in an email.
Edwards spent election night with his family, and said he always tries to spend nights like these with them.
“My family means the world to me,” Edwards said in an email. “There is no way I would even be close to where I am at today if it was not for them.”
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