Jonathan Bradner? He’s one of those people who’s hard not to root for. He was born and raised up in Northwest Ohio, and one of his very first jobs was helping on a local pig farm. That experience stuck with him; it taught him the value of hard work and gave him a real appreciation for the grit and heart of small-town communities.

How did he end up from pig farming as a teenager, to running for State Representative? Well… Jonathan’s journey hasn’t been a straight line. He’ll tell you himself, he was once a college dropout. But that didn’t stop him. He started working part time as a breakfast attendant at a hotel near CVG Airport, and through his own brand of persistence (he is really just that stubborn), he worked his way up the ladder, eventually becoming a Director of Operations and a Marketing and Sales Manager. Even in the corporate world, his heart for ministry showed through. He took on roles in corporate social responsibility, fighting for fair wages and creating safer, more sustainable workplaces for his colleagues.

Today, Jonathan serves on the boards of both a respected local nonprofit and an international one, proof that his compassion doesn’t stop at county or country lines.

What we love about Jonathan is that he’s lived enough life to understand people from all walks of it. He leads with empathy, not partisanship. Remember that college dropout story? He didn’t stop there. He went back to school, earned a Certificate of Pastoral Leadership, and later a Master’s degree in Ethics and Justice. Every step of his story points back to one belief: that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and a voice in shaping their community.

Jonathan and his wife Molly live in Colerain with their three dogs, one cat, and even a snake! They love hiking, camping, traveling across the country, and they’re the kind of couple who still make time for an Disney trip now and then.

Now he’s running for State Representative because he believes Ohio deserves leaders who listen, act with integrity, and bring people together to solve real problems. If you spend five minutes talking with him, you’ll know that’s exactly who he is.