Jason Allen is an American politician. He served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002 and a member of the

state senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

from 2003 to 2010. He represented the 37th district, which includes Grand Traverse, Antrim,

Charlevoix Charlevoix ( , ) is a cultural and natural region in Quebec, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River as well as in the Laurentian Mountains area of the Canadian Shield. This dramatic landscape includes rolling terrain, fjords, headlands ...

, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Chippewa and Mackinac Counties. After leaving the state legislature, Allen served as a senior policy advisor for the

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) is a state government agency which is a part of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs that functions as the central coordinating point for Michigan veterans, connecting those who have served ...

, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, State of Michigan. He served as the Michigan state director for

USDA Rural Development USDA Rural Development (RD) is a mission area within the United States Department of Agriculture which runs programs intended to improve the economy and quality of life in rural parts of the United States. Rural Development has a loan portfolio o ...

during the

Trump administration Donald Trump's tenure as the 45th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican from New York City, took office following his Electoral College victory ...

. Allen was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from

Michigan's 1st congressional district Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district containing the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan and 16 counties of Northern Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. The district is currently represented by Republican J ...

in 2010 and 2016, but lost the Republican primary both times.

Early life and education

Allen is a lifelong resident of

Traverse City, Michigan Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population wa ...

. After graduating high school he attended

Northwestern Michigan College Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is a public community college in Traverse City, Michigan. Founded in 1951, it enrolls nearly 4,000 students. NMC offers associate degrees and professional certificates, bachelor's degrees through the Great La ...

. From there he completed his education at

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...

, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Finance. He then returned to his hometown and began a job at his family's menswear business, Captain’s Quarters, located in downtown Traverse City. He has served in the

Michigan National Guard The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard. The State adjutant general is Major general Paul D. Rogers. Units Michigan Army National Guard units include: * Recruiting Office: Ba ...

with the rank of E4 specialist and is a member of the American Legion. Allen has also remained active in his community. As an

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle S ...

he continues to help out with scouting activities, serving on the President Ford Executive Board and counseling merit badges.

Political career

Prior to becoming a senator in 2002, Allen served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives for the 104th District from 1999 to 2002. In 2000 and 2004, he was named the Advocate of the Year by the Michigan Manufacturers Association. He has been a member a member of the Grand Traverse County

Board of Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

, Great Lakes Community Health Board and Northwestern Michigan Council of Government. He is also a member of

Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an American nonprofit organization 501(c) dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It has had a membership of around 700,000 since January 2013. ...

, Michigan Whitetails, the Ruffed Grouse Society, the American Legion and a Life Member of the

NRA The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while conti ...

. Allen is pro-life and supports lower taxes, reducing government regulation and the right to bear arms. In 2016, Allen signed the

Americans for Tax Reform Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is a politically conservative U.S. advocacy group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today." According to ATR, "The government's power to contro ...

Taxpayer Protection Pledge Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is a politically conservative U.S. advocacy group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today." According to ATR, "The government's power to contr ...

, committing to opposing tax increases. On November 6, 2017, the

Trump Administration Donald Trump's tenure as the 45th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican from New York City, took office following his Electoral College victory ...

announced the appointment of Jason Allen as the new state director for

in Michigan.

Congressional campaigns

Allen unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Congress in the 2010 primary election, losing by fifteen votes out of 70,996 total votes cast. Allen chose not to request a recount, saying he did not want to put either the party or the district through the lengthy and costly process. He ran in 2016 for the Republican nomination for the open congressional seat. He was defeated in the Republican primary by

Jack Bergman John Warren "Jack" Bergman (born February 2, 1947) is a retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 1st congressional district since 2017. He is a member of the Republi ...

, who also won the general election in November 2016.

References

External links

Jason Allen's Congressional Campaign Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Jason 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Candidates in the 2010 United States elections Candidates in the 2016 United States elections Living people Members of the Michigan House of Representatives Miami University alumni Michigan National Guard personnel Michigan state senators Northwestern Michigan College People from Traverse City, Michigan United States Department of Agriculture officials Year of birth missing (living people)