Bryan Jones

Bryan Jones was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Jones began serving in the U.S. Air Force in 2003. He earned a graduate degree from the United States Air Force Academy in 2007.[1]

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased December 2, 2021

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born and raised in Florida's 1st Congressional District. Met and married his high school sweetheart who is a career educator and now an assistant principal in the district. Father to two little girls who are the light of his life. Veteran, attended the United States Air Force Academy and has gone on to serve the last 14 years as a Special Operations pilot with combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. Continuing that service as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Florida Air National Guard. Servant leader who is now called to serve in a different capacity representing his family, friends and neighbors of NW FL as a Congressman who will restore integrity and bring honor to the Florida Panhandle.

Florida's 1st Congressional District has more veterans and military families than any other congressional district in the nation, it is #1 of 435, yet the last time we had a veteran represent this district in Congress was 1995. I plan to change that and ensure our local heroes and families are represented honorably just as they have served honorably in defending this nation.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Public service of any kind, especially elected representatives is one of the highest callings this nation can bestow upon its citizenry. For too long, we have allowed career politicians who are solely focused on serving themselves and not their constituents be elected to offices and worst we keep re-electing the same people who display low moral and character values. This nation needs servant leader and public servants from all walks of life to step up and answer their nation’s call to serve honorably.At 18, I raised my right hand and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. I have lived that solemn oath for the last 18 years and will continue to let that oath be my guiding principle.American is still the greatest the country in the history of the world, but we must fight to keep it that way. There are enemies of this nation both foreign and domestic who want to see the world’s greatest experiment in democracy fail. We must elect representatives who will ensure that never happens.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Conservative Republican who believes in lower taxes and smaller government. In my many years working in the military and government at the highest levels of the Pentagon and Capitol Hill I have yet to see our government do anything effectively, efficiently, on-time or on-budget, yet we continue to reward these irresponsible behaviors with increased budgets and expanding roles of government. We need to pull back government overreach and free up the American horsepower and ingenuity that built this nation.

I believe in law and order. We must secure our borders and we should hold those accountable who do not respect or follow the laws of this nation.

I believe our founding fathers knew what they were doing when they authored the Constitution and I will fight to defend every Americans constitutional rights to include the 2nd amendment.

Research has shown COVID lockdowns and mandates are not working and have done more harm to everyday Americans than they have done good. We must end unconstitutional mandates. No American should have to choose between a personal health decision and the ability to feed their family.

Critical race theory and rewriting our history books has no place in my children's school, I will not stand for anyone to teach my children anything other than to love one another and to love their country.

We must secure our election systems and be transparent with the American people on the process from ballot to election result.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My grandfather, who raised me, served this nation for 30 years in the United States Air Force including serving in Vietnam. He always put others above himself and truly lived the life of a servant leader. He inspired me to follow in his footsteps by attending the United States Air Force Academy and I’ve gone on to serve the last 14 years on active duty in Special Operations and continue that service in the Florida Air National Guard. He showed me what right looks like and how to serve others and I look forward to continuing that legacy of being a servant leader in Congress.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Core values and principles are not discovered once you are in office. Instead, they must be lived and cultivated for decades prior to taking office. One’s true self will come out eventually and our nation’s future depends on this nation electing principled servant leaders to offices at every level of government.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Servant leader who is not interested in self promotion, but instead being a representative that my family, friends, and neighbors of Northwest Florida can be proud of and who will fight for what is right.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The same core values that I have lived for the last two decades in serving this nation in the United States Air Force of Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do are core responsibilities that I expect and would like to see more of our elected leaders.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Lead, follow, or get out of the way. I plan to lead, I will continue to do what I have always done in every organization I've been a part of and that is to strive to leave it better than I found it.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Born in the USA

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The greatest challenge affecting our nation over the next decade will come from within our own borders. The divisiveness and uncivilized political discourse rampant in our nation today from both sides is dividing our country more than ever. We must never forget we are all Americans. Our nation faces credible threats from peer competitors such as China, Russia and terrorist organizations that seek to harm Americans and our way of life. A nation divided is weakened against combating these external threats and is exactly what the enemies of this great nation seek to take advantage of.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Our founding fathers never envisioned career politicians serving in Congress for 30 to 40 years. We have term limits at every level of our government to include local, state and even federally in this nation’s highest office of the Presidency. Statistically, the American people overwhelming are in favor of term limits for Congress, yet it is the same career politicians who are entrusted with enacting the will of the people they represent who refuse to bring term limits to a vote. I believe competition is a good thing, it is what built this nation. For our nation to continue to be successful in the future we must enact term limits for all members of Congress to ensure the members of Congress never forget where they came from and who they are supposed to represent.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The most consistent story I’ve heard from the great men and women of Northwest Florida is their frustration with getting answers or help from their elected leaders with issues affecting them. There are countless personal stories of Veterans who have requested help and assistance with navigating the VA system to seek earned benefits, post military service employment opportunities, and mental health programs available to our Veterans that have gone unanswered for years from our current representatives. I recently talked to a fire chief who for four years has been asking for a 15-minute meeting with our representatives to plead for an emergency signal to stop traffic outside his station to ensure his crews can timely and safely respond to emergencies without delay.

Representatives must never forget where they come from and who they are entrusted with representing.

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