Mondaire Jones


Mondaire Jones is an American attorney and politician from the state of New York. He is the Democratic nominee for in the 2020 election

Early life and education

Jones was born in Nyack, New York, and grew up in Spring Valley, New York, where he was raised by a single mother. After his mother became ill, Jones lived with his grandparents, who worked multiple jobs to support him. He graduated from public schools in the East Ramapo Central School District. He earned his bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 2009 and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2013.

Career

Jones worked in the United States Department of Justice during the presidency of Barack Obama. He also worked for Davis Polk & Wardwell, as a law clerk for Andrew L. Carter Jr. of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and for the Westchester County law department. Jones also provided pro bono legal aid through The Legal Aid Society.
Jones announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary to represent in the 2020 elections against incumbent Representative Nita Lowey. Lowey later announced that she would not seek re-election. He advocated for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and police reform.
In an eight-way race, Jones defeated attorney Adam Schleifer, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas, and state senator David Carlucci, among others, with 42% of the vote. The Associated Press called the race for Jones on July 14, 2020, three weeks after the primary, stating that Jones's current lead with the number of absentee ballots already counted was insurmountable by his opponents. Since is overwhelmingly Democratic, Jones is considered the presumptive Representative-Elect.

Personal life

Jones came out as gay when he was 24. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Spring Valley.

Electoral history

Awards and honors

In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named him among the fifty heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people”.