Jay Jackson
Non-Partisan | Nebraska
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Jay Jackson
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2026
Election
Primary
Race
Member of the Legislature, Dist. 14
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Hanover College, Hanover, IN, B.A., 2002
George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, Arlington, VA, J.D., 2006
The George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C., LLM, 2017
WORK & MILITARY
United States Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel, 2006-2020
United States Air Force Reserve, Colonel, 2020 - present
Kutak Rock LLP, Partner, 2020 - present
AFFILIATIONS
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Lifetime Member, 2022 - present
Coram Deo Church, Deacon, 2022-2025
Tenant Assistance Project, Pro Bono Attorney, 2020-2022
Joint Special Operations Association, Member, 2020 - present
Papillion Historical Society, Member, 2025 - present
Nebraska Airborne Association, Member, 2025 - present
Open Door Mission, Volunteer, 2021 - present
Siena Francis House, Volunteer, 2022 - present
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Nebraska Legislature, District 14
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (3)
Don Bacon
Senator Tom Brewer
Jon Bruning
LIBERAL (1)
IAFF Nebraska Professional Fire Fighters Assocation
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Congressman Don Bacon
Former State Senator Tom Brewer
Former State Senator Theresa Thibodeau
Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov
La Vista Mayor Doug Kindig
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
I believe that life begins at conception and that all life has dignity and value. Abortion should only be allowed in those rare cases where it is necessary to save the life of the mother.
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Agree
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Strongly Agree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
I adhere to the founders' views of "separation of church and state" as reflected in the First Amendment of the US Constitution (applied to states through the Fourteenth Amendment). First, the government is prohibited from making laws that establish a state church or compel a particular worship or doctrine. Second, the government is prohibited from interfering with the free exercise of religion, protecting worship, service, and conscience in public and private life.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
America’s relationship with Israel is important because Israel is a stable, innovative democracy and major non-NATO ally in a volatile region, a contributor of critical defense intelligence, and a reliable partner to counter terrorism.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
C is closest. The best and most cost-effective health care is that provided by the private sector and fair, free markets. With that said, no one’s cancer survival should hinge on their income level, so we should maintain certain programs for those who need it most.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
I favor a modest minimum wage for working adults complemented by tools like the earned income tax credit, career training, and tax relief for small businesses, so that we can boost incomes without destroying the very jobs people need to get ahead.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
1. Support the state auditor's efforts to root out fraud, waste, and abuse 2. Limit unfunded state mandates and regulatory creep on local government 3. Consolidate redundant bureaucracy and overhead across state agencies and governmental subdivisions 4. Increase punishment for crimes involving abuse of a position of trust
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
Local, state, and federal governments should work together in good faith to enforce our nation's laws, and local governments certainly shouldn’t obstruct enforcement or bar cooperation with federal agencies, especially when it comes to violent or repeat offenders.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Agree
I would support phasing out the Department of Education and returning its duties—and funding—to the states and local communities where leaders are most accountable to parents and students.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Agree
I support a prohibition on direct funding of American education from foreign governments (especially adversaries) to prevent propaganda, data theft, and undue influence. I would allow academic collaboration that serves the interest of the United States and our students with certain safeguards, including transparency, protection of intellectual property, and security reviews.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
The goal of the criminal justice system is to protect the public and uphold the rule of law with equal justice, due process, and accountability. As a former prosecutor, I believe in swift and proportionate consequences for criminal activity, strong support for crime victims, and targeted rehabilitation of wrongdoers to reduce recidivism. Key partnerships should address the underlying causes of crime like poverty, absent or chaotic parenting, untreated mental illness, and addiction.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
As a veteran and gun owner, I support Nebraskans' right to bear arms under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. We can increase public safety and protect law-abiding citizens’ rights with common-sense restrictions like background checks that prevent violent felons, domestic abusers, and mentally ill individuals from accessing firearms.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Conservative
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
no
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
no
VALUES
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Strongly Agree
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Choose not to answer
I oppose social and medical gender transition for minors and favor counseling, parental involvement, and watchful waiting. These interventions are not appropriate for children—but calling it “child abuse” is overly broad. I believe most parents in that situation believe they are acting in love and doing their best amid confusing advice, even though I would vehemently disagree with their decisions.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
I personally believe marriage is a God-ordained union of one man and one woman. However, the government has practical duties that affect people’s lives in areas like employment law, taxes, inheritance and probate, property, hospital visitation, and parental rights. In a pluralistic society, civil law should handle those matters fairly and predictably without rewriting or coercing anyone’s religious beliefs.
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Disagree
Generally speaking, I do not favor gambling, which often preys on the most vulnerable members of our communities. I would balance that concern with adult freedom and the ability to fund programs that mitigate the harms of gambling which inevitably occur. If expansion proceeds in Nebraska, I prefer tightly-regulated, place-based options like horse racing over online betting, with strong safeguards and treatment funding.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in historic Christian orthodoxy as enshrined in the Apostles Creed. I believe in acting, to the best of my ability, in accordance with the fruit of the Spirit as described in the book of Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I believe that public service should reflect the calling to love my neighbor as myself, as well as reflect the admonition in the book of Micah to "do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God."
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Neutral
We have a responsibility to steward the environment well for the next generation, but heavy-handed government mandates that increase costs are not the answer.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
I favor an all-of-the-above approach to energy, as determined by the free market and as technology and innovation allow us to use that energy reliably and efficiently.
