I, Jonathan Goodwin, am honored to announce my candidacy for Jackson County Mayor.

I was raised in the Fairview Community on my family’s farm, where my wife Jennifer and I live, and I am proud to be the sixth generation to call it home. I graduated from Jackson County High School in 2010. I then continued my education by earning a Building Construction Technology diploma from the Tennessee Technology Center (now TCAT) in Livingston in 2012, followed by an Associate's in Electrical Engineering in 2014 and Civil Engineering in 2015 from Nashville State Community College. In 2020, I had the privilege of working at the Tennessee State Capitol for the Tennessee General Assembly. That same year, I graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. I, again, continued my academic journey, by earning a second Bachelor of Science in Sociology from East Tennessee State University in 2021.

Since 2021, I’ve worked with the Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) in Economic and Community Development, initially in Tourism Marketing and later as a Tourism Projects Specialist. In this role, I’ve worked on various initiatives to promote local services and destinations, helping create new tourism projects while supporting ongoing efforts. I also gained valuable insight into consumer behavior, market targeting, and promotional strategies. Alongside my work at UCDD, I pursued two Master's Degrees in Public Administration (2023) and Political Science (2024) from Liberty University.

In addition to my professional work, I volunteer as a mentor for high school seniors through the Tennessee Achieves and Tennessee Promise Scholarship program at Jackson County High School for the past five years. Tennessee Achieves is a nonprofit that helps Tennessee students’ access post-secondary education opportunities, from technical colleges to four-year universities.

I come from a family deeply rooted in Jackson County. My late mother, Kimberly Lee Young, was from Gainesboro, and my late father, James Dillard “J.D.” Goodwin was from Cookeville. My grandmother was the late Glenda West of Gainesboro, and my grandfather, Billy Ray Young, also from Gainesboro. My great-great aunt, the late Grace Jackson, was a respected teacher in the Fairview Community, where she taught at several local schools, including Fairview, New Hope, and Pleasant Hill.

I am a proud member of Poston’s Chapel Community Church where my family had worshiped at for years and more recently at the Cookeville Church of the Nazarene with my wife after we had married this past September. My faith has guided me to seek this opportunity to seek the Office of County Mayor, as it has taught me the importance of integrity, service, and the fulfillment of my calling. My deep love for Jackson County and my passion for helping others drive me to offer myself as a leader who can help guide our community forward. I believe in service, collaboration, and finding lasting solutions to the challenges we face.

This community has given me so much, and now it's my turn to give back. I'm running to tackle the challenges we face - access to adequate healthcare; improving our infrastructure; creating jobs; and promote tourism - all while keeping our small-town values that we all love and cherish - and to make sure that every family has the opportunity to thrive.

As your mayor, I will work with local businesses to make sure that they have everything they need to succeed. I will work with the great teachers and administrators to make sure that Jackson County Schools produce a competitive world-class workforce that will attract new businesses and create new jobs. I will work to make sure that government remains open and transparent so that every citizen of Jackson County has a voice in the County Mayor's Office.

Jackson County deserves strong, transparent leadership that listens, acts, and delivers results. Together, we can build a future that reflects our shared values and aspirations.

I look forward to meeting everyone in the next few months as I earn your trust and support as your candidate for Jackson County Mayor. I am open to all questions anyone may have. Feel free to contact me and follow me on social media for all up to date information.

Sincerely, Jonathan Goodwin

Email: goodwin4mayor@gmail.com

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Jonathan Goodwin for Jackson County Mayor