With the future of his kids’ home state on his mind, Jamie Hough is looking towards change in Licking County.
Hough, 38, is running as the Democratic candidate for State Representative for the Ohio House District 69, which encompasses parts of Licking, Fairfield and Perry counties. Currently, the seat is held by Kevin Miller, Hough’s opponent in the November election.
Hough, originally from Fountain, Florida — a small rural community outside Panama City — moved to Licking County about six years ago.
Hough’s main goals for Licking County are ensuring investments in public education, quality healthcare, access to affordable housing, environmental protection and equality for all.
“It’s a learning process, so I know there’s a lot for me to learn, and it doesn’t take one person. One person does not do these. It takes a village, and I’m willing to take the village with me to the State House,” Hough said.
His advocacy began in 2020 with a Facebook page he created to combat misinformation, but in 2022, Hough decided it was time to get involved on a more local level.
He connected with the Licking County Democrats and in 2023, went door-to-door canvassing for Issues 1 and 2 — which enshrined access to abortion and contraception in the Ohio Constitution and legalized marijuana at the state level — on Ohio’s ballot last year.
Still, Hough wanted to do more for Licking County residents, and he was encouraged to run for State Representative for the Ohio House District 69th precinct.
“I said, ‘oh, I don’t think that’s me. I think I’m more of the organizer, the doer.’ And they’re like, ‘no, I think with all the things you want to accomplish, it would be best if you ran for office,’” Hough said.
And so, Hough decided to run for office to elevate the community voices of Licking County.
“They have them, we just need to make sure we hear them,” Hough said.
Hough strives to represent “the everyday American:” someone who wakes up each day with the challenge of showing up to work, raising and providing for a family or learning how to live in a modern world.
“I know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck. I know what it’s like to buy groceries every week. I know what it’s like to struggle to pay a bill. We do that. I know what it’s like to have to worry about a car tire going flat and how you’re going to juggle that out this week until payday. I know what it’s like to raise kids and send them to the school in the system that we’re in today,” Hough said.
Read more: 37% of Licking County households live one flat tire from financial disaster
At 17 years old, Hough spent his free time taking care of his father who had terminal cancer. A few years later, his mother was diagnosed with dementia. Hough navigated this until she passed away five years later, all while providing for a family of his own.
“It doesn’t get more American than that,” Hough said.
Hough has three teenage sons who attend school in Heath.
Hough wants to create a better future for his kids. To Hough, reinvesting in public education is a major part of this positive future. He hopes to refocus funding into schools, remove the possibility of the private-school voucher program and ensure high enough wages for bus drivers.
Among investment in education, Hough also wants to increase affordable housing options in Licking County.
“I care deeply about affordable housing opportunities and how we talk with all the powers-that-be on how we can make sure that that becomes not just a talking point, but a reality,” Hough said.
Hough summarizes his multifaceted beliefs into three interwoven components: Hough is “pro-family, pro-choice and pro-equality.”
“I want to see families grow. And family is not just one male, one female, and two children. It’s two males; it’s two females. It’s a mix of folks. It’s white and Black; it’s Chinese and American; it’s everybody,” Hough said.
Hough, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, believes strongly in the necessity of equality.
Another goal of Hough is to emphasize voices in the rural community in Licking County.
“I have a love for the rural community and making sure that we take care of them,”
Hough’s childhood home was a trailer in Fountain, Florida. There were holes in the floor and a fan in the window. The town was all dirt roads.
“If you got off the bus, there were feathers in the front yard. You’re having chicken for dinner tonight,” Hough said.
Hough has been working since he was 16 years old and has worked in the travel center industry for over 20 years. Most recently, he was an operations manager for Travel Centers of America. This entailed making sure truck stops — including service repairs, quick service restaurants, full service restaurants, retail and gas stations — were all functioning smoothly. As Hough explains, day-to-day in the travel industry is more than business management.
“It becomes people-oriented,” Hough said. “And my favorite thing about these businesses was getting to know the community and knowing my regulars and knowing their names and what was their favorite coffee or what was their brand of cigarettes or how much gas were they going to get today.”
In July 2024, however, Hough became sick with COVID-19, and his campaign came in the way of a promotion at work. This prompted him to step back from his career for the time being.
“I decided it was a time to focus on me for the first time in my life and this campaign and give a hundred percent of myself from here till election day,” Hough said.
Currently, Hough is the Democratic Central Committee Representative for Heath. These tasks include educating the people and encouraging them to get their voice into congress.
“I hope to rally up our group and make it stronger than what it ever has been,” Hough said.
In 2023, Hough helped launch a Young Democrats Club in Licking County and is on the chapter-building committee for 15 counties with Ohio Young Democrats.
Hough hopes that his candidacy will inspire other passionate individuals to run for office to make change.
“I hope that in the next election cycle, we’re going to see a candidate up and down that ballot that’s qualified for those seats, not just the name. We want to see some good folks, a good sheriff candidate, not just a Democrat that’s a Democrat,” Hough said.
When he isn’t working to inspire hope, Hough enjoys gardening and spending time with his kids.
Ella Diehl writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.