Republican Don Jones has been reelected as state representative of the 95th district, defeating Democratic candidate Micah McCarey.
The 95th district of Ohio consists of Athens, Noble, Morgan, Guernsey, Belmont and Harrison Counties.
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Jones got 32,348 votes, winning by 35.3%. However, McCarey won in Athens County by 72.12%, receiving 7,328 votes.
Jones will serve his fourth term in the Ohio House of Representatives.
Jones is a former agricultural education teacher and Future Farmers of America adviser at Harrison High School. Since then, he has served as the chairman for the Harrison Soil and Water Conservation District and served on the board of the Harrison County Agricultural Society, the Harrison County Farm Bureau and the Ohio Future Farmers of America Board.
Jones currently serves as the chairman of the South Central Power Foundation Board and is a member of the National Rifle Association.
Within the Ohio House of Representatives, Jones has been assigned to the House Finance Committee and the Legislative Service Commission Committee this year.
According to a previous article published by The Post, Jones believes gun violence should be handled by measures such as giving firearms to teachers in schools.
Jones also puts a deeper focus on mental health and opioid addiction within the region. Specifically, Jones co-sponsored House Bill 49, which gives patients their projected medical costs before they commit to recovery programs.
McCarey and Jones agree that the mental health and the opioid crisis in the area come from unemployment and housing instability. However, McCarey favors the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid to aid the issue.
McCarey also stated listening to citizens about the Israel-Hamas war is a key issue, whereas Jones feels that international issues are not the job of state representatives. He instead favors issues going on within the community.
