As a software engineer by profession, I have dedicated my career to problem-solving and innovation. I believe these skills are precisely what our community needs in its leadership. Today, I wish to share with you my vision for our district and how together, we can address the concerns that matter most to our residents in Altizer, Arlington Park, Cross Roads, and Guyandotte neighborhoods. As current president of the newly-formed Cross Roads Neighborhood Association (which is active in the Neighborhood Institute of Huntington) I plan to continue to work hard for my neighborhood and the surrounding area.

First and foremost, I recognize that our district, like many others, faces challenges that require proactive and innovative solutions. From infrastructure to economic development, from public safety to environmental sustainability, we have a multitude of issues that demand our attention. But in the face of these challenges, I see opportunities for progress and growth.

One of my top priorities as a City Council Representative will be to foster open communication and collaboration among residents, businesses, and local government. Too often, decisions are made in silos, without input from those who are most affected by them. I pledge to be a voice for our community, ensuring that every citizen has a seat at the table and that their concerns are heard and addressed. I am also committed to leveraging my background in engineering to tackle the pressing infrastructure issues facing our district. As a software engineer, I understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving economy. I look to bring the mindset of a professional problem-solver into council chambers. Whether it's repairing roads and bridges, improving public transportation, or investing in sustainable energy solutions, I will work tirelessly to ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs of our growing community.

But my vision for District 9 and the City of Huntington extends beyond just addressing immediate concerns. I believe that by investing in small business growth, education, and public services such as parks and libraries; we can create a more prosperous and equitable future for all residents. As an active volunteer for the No Parks, No Libraries, No Levy community action group, I have had opportunities to help bring transparency and integrity of information to light in the public arena; and I look to continue holding my fellow elected officials accountable for their decisions. If you’d like to know more about why I am voting NO for the first time ever on the Cabell County Board of Education Excess Levy–which is on the ballot in May–check out https://cabell-levy.org

I want to emphasize that I am not running for City Council out of personal ambition or self-interest. I am running because I am passionate about serving my community and making a positive difference in the lives of my fellow residents. With your support and cooperation, I am confident that together, we can build a brighter future for District 9 and the city of Huntington as a whole. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to earning your trust and working together to move our community forward. I'll be on the Democrat primary on May 14th; and remember, “Jack’s got your back!”

Check out my profile in The Herald Dispatch!

This is the updated district map for the 2024 election cycle. If you live in this teal area here that I circled in red, that is the new District 9 as approved by City Council. These will come into effect Jan 1, 2025, but council members running for election will use these for their ballots.

If you know folks that live in Guyandotte, Altizer, or those neighborhoods in city limits across the river, please help me get the word out that I am looking to be their voice in council chambers 🙂

My name is Jack Daniels and I'm running for City Council in Huntington, WV District 9. I recently registered as a Democrat so I could be on the May 14 Primary in 2024. I have lived in the Huntington area for nearly 18 years, and have been active in the community for most of that time.

I graduated from Marshall University in 2009 with a Bachelor's in Education, and have worked in the Cabell County Public School System. After that, I went to work in the medical industry in imaging equipment sales and service. My engineering background begins here, where I would build and maintain a web-based warehouse inventory system. This opportunity led me to work in other fields in the region, including information technology systems, network architecture, and eventually software development.

I currently work as an educator and software developer full-time, while pursuing many other personal and professional projects.

I am a strong advocate of community action, workplace and neighborhood organization, and mutual aid networks. As your city council representative, I will strive to ensure that your voice is heard and that your concerns within your district are addressed as quickly as possible while using data and fact-based research to solve them.

I am looking for your support in 2024 to make this happen. Vote Jack on the Democrat Primary ticket in May and let's work together to make the City of Huntington more efficient, sustainable, inclusive, equitable, artful, fun, attractive, financially sound, and desirable!

Jack's got your back in 2024!

I moved to Huntington in 2005 to go to Marshall. I married a Huntington native in 2008 and graduated from Marshall with a BA in music education in 2009. We separated in 2020 and I moved to Barboursville until 2022, when I moved back to Huntington (back into District 9). I've lived here since then. I have two kids, 12 and 9. They go to Explorer Academy and Huntington East Middle School.

I have been a professional software developer since ~2015, and am passionate about engineering and problem solving. In 2021, I bought 2 acres out Green Valley road and started managing the land there, with the intent to turn it into a sustainable homestead. I am an environmentalist and am a strong proponent of taking care of our native plant species here in Appalachia, eradicating invasive plants, and taking care of this precious environment that is slipping away from us daily.

My day job is a Curriculum Designer and Instructor for Kenzie Academy through Southern New Hampshire University. I work from my home right here in Huntington, but that opportunity will be over in April, as the university closed the academy. I teach Front-End Web Development (JavaScript) and Back-End Software Development (Java) for adult learners. Recently, I was an instructor for Amazon Career Choice, a program which sponsored Amazon warehouse workers to learn software development.

I run a small business from my home office called Lasso Games. We have developed a few games for PC over the years and just recently published a locally-developed (Hurricane, WV) board game! Though I was born in Oklahoma, I consider myself an Appalchian. In August I will officially have been West Virginian longer than I was an Oklahoman. My entire adult life has been shaped by these hills, working in Appalachia, and being active in our rich and vibrant culture in this region.

My partner Michelle is HR director for the City of Ashland and it has been really neat to see some of the cool projects they have going on there, from the art initiatives, to the acts they draw at the Paramount, to the public events, and even the controversial Winchester Ave redesign.

I am very interested in urban planning and infrastructure, walkable/cycle-friendly cities. I love to travel, and have been to Europe 3 times. It's amazing to go abroad and see super old cities that still have great infrastructure and transit options. Lots of places in Europe had to avoid designing their cities around prioritizing cars due to space constraints or UNESCO, or historical sites, and this has worked to their advantage as we have seen that lane widening projects and prioritizing moving cars over moving people has backfired and turned North American suburban sprawl into a redundant landscape that is impossible to navigate without an expensive, dangerous prosthetic known as a motor vehicle. Politically, I would position myself pretty far left on the political compass. Further left than most Democrats. In fact, I only recently registered as a democrat so I could be on the Primary ballot in May. I have been unaffiliated with a political party because I believe the two-party system in the USA is broken and does not accurately represent the will of the people.

What makes me "far-left?" I believe in more direct democracy, worker co-ops, public (collectively owned) property, and that government should be run from the bottom up, and not from the top down. I believe that small governments and community groups can do more to affect change in people's day-to-day lives than our federal and state governments, and that we should be more actively involved in the political process. I realize calling myself "far left" is probably not going to be a super popular approach while running for office here in WV. But, as time goes on, that would reveal itself, and I believe in being as transparent as possible since honesty and transparency are qualities that aren't often seen in politicians.

I believe in direct action. When the Cabell County School board voted to defund the parks and libraries, I spoke passionately at their meetings, suggesting sternly that the board should do the right thing and fund our parks and libraries, which are strong staples of public service that provide opportunities for our most disadvantaged members of society.

Most importantly though, I believe in strong towns and strong communities, which are only possible when neighborhoods are able to work together to meet common goals. I want to see more involvement and activity from (myself and my) neighbors, and want to see city policy and ordinances reflect the will of the people first, and not just special business interests.

Also! There is a lot I just don't know or have answers for, and I am here to learn. I look to learn something new every day because I believe we are lifelong learners, and that when we know better, we have to do better. I feel like I have good positions on issues, that are based in empathy, compassion, and humanity. But, I'm always trying to keep my eyes and ears open for new information that challenges my perspective. I believe we can do better in America, and I believe it starts locally! I am not a seasoned politician, and I don't want to project the image that I am. But I do think I can be a voice for the citizens of my district, and that when we work together we can do great things!