Jason Jobe – Candidate: Maryland House of Delegates District 1A

It is true that he spent nearly 20 years watching his kids grow up in Garrett County. Going to soccer games at Mountain Top in Loch Lynn – now those were early mornings! Almost as early as the days he got up to drive all three of his children to First Lego League practices and competitions in Swan Meadow. However, none of his kids would grow up to become computer programmers – no matter how much fun he had teaching them to program. Instead, one began a now 20 year career in entertainment beginning at Our Town Theatre; another took his love for the outdoors from Boy Scouts to the National Forest in Acadia, Maine; the third, now politically involved, herself, is creating a community with a family of her own.

It’s also true that Jason, himself, didn’t grow up in Garrett County. Raised in Florida by a single father, he was a latch-key kid and spent a lot of time on his own or with his grandmother. He would go on to graduate from Jacksonville University, which included a gap year spent in the Navy. He returned to school for his master’s degree in computer science at Florida State.

Now you may be asking yourself, what does a computer programmer know about politics! But Jason has spent his life solving problems, engineering creative solutions, and most importantly, continuing to learn. On his bookshelf you’ll find journals and nonfiction on everything from psychology to economics, philosophy to politics. He’s not afraid to admit when he’s wrong or that he may not have the answer, but he’s always more than willing, and excited, to listen and learn new things.