| Jess Edwards | |
| State House1: | New Hampshire |
| District1: | Rockingham 4th |
| Party: | Republican |
Jesse Craton "Jess" Edwards Jr. is an American politician who is a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives.[1] He represents the Rockingham 4 district, comprising the towns of Auburn, Chester, and Sandown.[2]
Edwards served in the United States Medical Corps, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel and retiring in 2009.
Edwards is a Republican. In his third term, he was appointed to Chair Division III of the Finance Committee. In 2023, Edwards endorsed Ron DeSantis for president.[3]
In 2022, Edwards advocated for the successful passage of HB1609, which created an exemption for fatal fetal diagnoses to the 24-week abortion ban law passed in 2021.[4]
In 2024, Edwards argued against raising New Hampshire's minimum marriage age from 16 to 18, stating that 16- and 17-year-olds "are a ripe, fertile age and may have a pregnancy and a baby involved", in which case "marriage might be the right solution" and should be available "as a legitimate social option" to avoid "making abortion a much more desirable alternative".[5]
Edwards' daughter, Elizabeth, served as a state representative, and Edwards credits her service as the inspiration for his run for office.[6]