GREENFIELD — John Jessup’s first run for political office was inspired by one of his children.
“My 12-year-old son had come to me and wanted to go to this leadership summit in Washington, D.C. I was looking at how much it was going to cost and I was thinking, ‘Oh my God. This is $4,000 or $5,000.’ I kind of tried to bluff my 12-year-old. I told him, ‘You go out and work for the next 30 days and make $1,000 and we’ll make sure you get to go,’” Jessup said. “I thought I was pretty slick pulling that.”
Jessup’s son spent the time mowing lawns and doing other yard work and earned the full cost of the trip himself. The whole family ended up visiting the capital.
“We got back and he said, ‘Dad, you know how you always said that if I set my mind to something that I could do it and I could be whatever I wanted to be?’ And I said yeah, and he said, ‘So when are you going to put your money where your mouth is and run for office? You’ve been talking about it my whole life.’
“So, I went out that day and got on the ballot for state representative. And got my rear end handed to me.”
That was not Jessup’s last run for office, however. Now, as the incumbent, he is running for re-election as the county commissioner for District 1. He is opposed in the Republican primary by Jeannine Gray, a current member of the Hancock County Council. (A story about Gray will appear in the Weekend edition of the Daily Reporter on Saturday, Feb. 15.)
Jessup spent six years on the county council before running for commissioner in 2016. Jessup said he was proud of his accomplishments on the county council, including increasing funding for township fire departments, but wanted to move to the board of commissioners to have more influence on issues like the construction of a new jail.
“I’m running for re-election to continue the good things that we’ve started,” Jessup said, including the ongoing jail project. He said he experienced some backlash over the cost of the construction, which required the county to take out a $40 million bond backed by local income tax revenue.
“I’ve spearheaded this jail project, which at times has been contentious. There’s been times when I haven’t made friends with some people, but I’ve found that sometimes you have to be a little bit more coarse to get a job done.”
Jessup said he hopes voters will give him another four years to work hard at solving the county’s problems.
“I want to see through these building projects. I’ve started them, I’ve fought for them, I’ve taken a lot of bullets for them,” he said. “I’ve never been afraid to answer to the voters. I feel like everything I’ve done is what I’ve been asked to do.”
Outgoing Commissioner Brad Armstrong said he has enjoyed his time working with Jessup both on the commissioners and the county council.
“I can definitely say we wouldn’t have accomplished all of the great things that we have done without him,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said Jessup is an independent thinker who is good at problem-solving and closely scrutinizing the county’s financial documents.
“I think his actions are proof that he’s as good as any politician in that job,” he said.
In addition to being a father of four, stepfather of two, and grandfather of two, Jessup also owns his own construction business. He said his life experiences have helped him be a better officeholder. He always keeps in mind, he said, that even a small increase in taxes might be the difference between balancing and not balancing a household budget.
“As a father, I’ve had some massive failures. As a son, as a brother, as a businessman, I’ve had massive failures. But all those experiences, whenever I’m sitting in that chair (in the commissioners’ court), everything’s solid and I know exactly who I am and what the right answer is. All those other difficulties that I’ve had enable me to look at these problems that we’ve had on the board of commissioners with a heart for the people we’re trying to serve,” he said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”The Jessup file” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Age: 44
Party: Republican
Office sought: County commissioner (District 1)
Political experience: One term as commissioner, two terms on county council
Family: Wife Paula, four children, two stepchildren, two grandchildren
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About this series” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The Daily Reporter is presenting profiles of candidates whose names will appear on the primary ballot for county offices. These stories will run periodically over the coming weeks leading up to the primary election on May 5.
[sc:pullout-text-end]