Jonathan Scott (politician)

Jonathan Palmer Scott (Jon Scott) is a Republican politician in the United States, and an advocate of free market reforms. He was an unsuccessful challenger for United States Congress in Rhode Island's 1st congressional district in 2006.

Background

Scott was born in 1966 in Providence, Rhode Island to Mary Lou Gilbert, a single mother and former Ice Capades skater and instructor. He described his mother, during a radio interview on Rhode Island’s WPRO, as “amazingly industrious”.Fact|date=October 2008 According to his account, she had dropped out of Hope High School (Providence, RI) in order to pursue her skating career and received her GED. She later “worked her way through Salve Regina nursing school as a lab tech, through anesthesia school as a pediatrics nurse and, when she got a bit bored, decided to get her law degree, as well”.

In 1975, his mother married Perry Scott. He has never made reference to his biological father.

Scott attended the Moses Brown School; a prestigious private Quaker school on Providence’s East Side which boasts Christopher Hill, Will MacKenzie, Tom Chappell, and Vincent Cianci among its alumni. He was at the school from elementary school through high school graduation. He later attended the University of Rhode Island, where he chaired the Student Senate, and Harvard University (Extension School).

He has never married but has a son, who is adopted. Chris is 24 and lives with his father in Providence.

ailing career

Scott was a professional captain on racing sailboats after a college career at the University of Rhode Island in which he crewed on two Kennedy Cup winning teams – NCAA sailing’s equivalent of the national championship. He later sailed as a paid professional on a variety of boats around the world. He has sailed with a number of famous sailors including ESPN commentator Gary Jobson.

In 2006, just prior to his announcement for the Congressional race, he completed his 10th Newport to Bermuda race.

Coaching career

Scott is nationally recognized as a coach and coaching educator. He coached sailing, football, wrestling and lacrosse from youth to elite levels for 18 years.

He was, at age 19, assumed to be the youngest varsity high school lacrosse head coach in the nation at the Portsmouth Abbey School, where he coached for almost ten years. He also coached wrestling at the school.

He coached wrestling for Bridgewater State College and was certified as a Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling. He coached at the organization’s Junior Olympic Developmental Camps and was a coaching instructor for them.

Professional career

Scott was a Counselor and Group Home Manager in Providence, prior to embarking on his political career. He worked with an adolescent male population and also served as a liaison to Family court and as an Educational Advocate for special education students.

Political career

A populist Republican who centered his campaign around the idea of returning government’s control to “the common man” announced his candidacy for US Congress on the steps of the Rhode Island State House. Though he was unknown, he easily won the Rhode Island Republican Party’s endorsement at their state convention in June 2006 and cruised to victory in the Republican primary with over 70% of the vote in a year that saw a tremendous amount of attention paid to the primary because of an extremely contentious contest between incumbent Senator Lincoln Chafee and former Cranston, Rhode Island Mayor Stephen Laffey.

Scott lost in November to incumbent Patrick Kennedy (D), who had been the subject of a great deal of controversy during the summer of 2006.

Scott later helped establish Ocean State Policy Research Institute, Rhode Island’s first ever “free market based think tank”. He was named the Chairman of the Board in late 2007. Former United States Secretary of the Navy, J. William Middendorf, who also serves on the think tank’s Board, is said to be a close ally of Scott’s, as are such Washington insiders as Grover Norquist (President of Americans for Tax Reform) who spoke at a dinner for the Policy group and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Scott was the RI Coordinator for Gingrich’s “American Solutions Day” project in 2007.

External links

* [http://www.jonscott2008.com Scott 2008 Blog]
* [http://www.oceanstatepolicy.org Ocean State Policy Website]

References

* [http://www.projo.com/extra/election/content/congress28_10-28-06_6K2JJM5.338fe73.html Kennedy, Challengers Debate] Providence Journal 10/28/06
* [http://www.projo.com/extra/election/content/projo_20060903_scott.3230f33.html Voice of the Regular Guy] Providence Journal 9/3/06
* [http://www.projo.com/extra/election/content/SCOTT23_10-23-06_TA2GAF0.338ec9a.html Newcomer Scott Unfazed] Providence Journal 10/23/06
* [http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/11/05/despite_woes_kennedy_strong_in_ri/ Kennedy Still Strong] Boston Globe 11/05/06
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/01/ap/politics/mainD8L4F4IO0.shtml Kennedy Rebounds] CBS News
* [http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/media/storage/paper472/news/2006/11/07/Metro/The-Heralds.Guide.To.The.2006.General.Election-2443881.shtml Guide to the Elections] Brown Daily Herald 11/07/2006
* [http://www.projo.com/extra/election/content/projo_20060913_cong13sc.355424b.html Scott Heads to November Showdown] Providence Journal 10/13/2006
* [http://thephoenix.com/notfornothing/2007/07/12/WhatsNextForJonScott.aspx What's Next for Jon Scott?] Providence Phoenix 7/12/07
* [http://www.projo.com/news/content/reed_money_10-16-07_P17GBU3.2f05e27.html Reed has Nest Egg...] Providence Journal 10/16/07
* [http://www.anchorrising.com/barnacles/003175.html Meet Jon Scott; Candidate for Congress] Anchor Rising interview
* [http://www.atr.org/pledge/national/challengers.html Anti-Tax Pledge Signers 2006 Cycle] Americans for Tax Reform
* [http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_scott14_04-14-08_ON92CJA_v8.39d7174.html Let There Be Light "Jonathan Scott"] Providence Journal Op Ed 04/14/08