Jon Wright

We can’t get enough of Jon Wright. This Paducah native earned his degree from Northern Kentucky’s Chase Law School. Between semesters, he situated himself at San Francisco’s City Hall and logged long hours without even having an official job. It’s his unofficial initiative and his handsome good looks that have landed Wright, 26, on the right track to political success — today working on Governor Bill Richardson’s presidential candidate campaign!

Jon Wright, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! I can’t stand it. You’re Paducah born and bred, yes?
Yes, my mom, Marilyn, works for Ulrich Medical Concepts and my dad, Phillip, works for Sysco Food Services. I graduated from St. Mary in 1999 and then from Murray in 2003.

And you’re an official lawyer now!
Well I got my law degree at Chase in 2006 and passed the Kentucky bar exam in February, but I’m not practicing. I went to law school because I thought it was the thing to do, but I’m not sure that I want to actually be a lawyer. Maybe down the road.

Speaking of down the road, what led you to San Francisco? You worked there between semesters at Chase, right?
Yes, I spent one summer studying international law in Geneva, Switzerland, and then lived in San Francisco the following summer.

Sounds like a Swiss Miss was involved.
Um, well, she wasn’t Swiss, but you’re right. I moved to San Francisco in pursuit of a girl, and that was not entirely successful.

But it did get you to a great city! I hear you literally just showed up and started working at City Hall.
I called around and learned about the mayor, Gavin Newsom. He’s an excellent, dynamic mayor, so I decided I would work for him.

I started driving from Paducah to San Francisco, and I’d call the mayor’s communications office from each state I passed through to let them know I was coming and what time I would arrive. I got there on a Sunday and put on a suit and walked into City Hall on a Monday. And I just pretty much said, “I’m here, and I’m ready to go to work.”

But Jon, they weren’t even offering you a job! It sounds like that Seinfeld episode where Kraemer goes to work but the company doesn’t really hire him. He just keeps showing up!
Well, it took about a week for the staff to see that I wasn’t crazy.

Did you have a desk?
Not always. It was very competitive. Everyone wants to be an intern in City Hall, and we were all jockeying for position. A desk equals status. And there were a lot of very, very talented people there. I had two advantages though: I was older and I was going to law school. So people automatically thought I was smarter, even though several interns were brilliant freshmen at Harvard!

What did you do there?
I did a lot of policy research and press events. It was a wonderful summer. Mayor Newsom is a dynamic problem solver, and the city is very proud of him.

People think he’ll run for senator or governor in a few years. At the end of the summer, you headed back to Chase. Did you like law school?
I don’t think anyone really likes law school. It’s hard, it’s very competitive and the reading load is huge. I’m happy to be finished with it, although I did enjoy constitutional law.

What did you do after graduation?
I went to work on the congressional campaign of Ken Lucas in Northern Kentucky. He wasn’t successful in the election, but he’s a wonderful man. And then I worked on Bruce Lunsford’s gubernatorial campaign. It was professionally one of the best moves because I made so many contacts with so many talented people across the country.

That’s how you got back to California?
Yes, after Bruce’s campaign, my San Francisco contacts connected me with a congressional campaign under way outside of Sacramento. I worked on that for a while, and then heard about this opportunity with a presidential candidate. That sounded pretty sweet, so I’m now living in Las Vegas working with my friends.

For which presidential candidate?
Democrat Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico.

Wow! You’re working for Bill Richardson! Do you two, like, hang out?
I have seen him several times. He is not only the most qualified candidate, he is also very friendly and personable with a great sense of humor. 

Do you think he stands a good chance of winning?
Absolutely. We may not be leading in the national polls, but neither were Bill Clinton or John Kerry in their successful bids for the nomination. We are moving up and building momentum in all the early states. I am very optimistic.

What do you like about politics?
I like working toward solutions. I like being part of the processes. And I like assisting good candidates in getting their message to voters.

OK, but why is it always the same message? Better education, better health care, protect the environment, blah blah blah. It’s all the same!
The reason the message is the same is because Washington has not been listening. I think after the 2006 elections people began to wake up and pay attention. I think there is definitely a surge in political activism and awareness. People are interested everywhere I go, whether it be Bowling Green, Ky., Rocklin, Calif. or Boulder City, Nev.
 
Jon Wright, you are just darling. Now you need a good Kentucky woman by your side. Don’t you miss southern gals way out West?
Totally! I’m always drawn to women who know how to connect with others, who like to travel, who appreciate the finer things but who are still grounded. I’d like to meet someone who can pick out the best chardonnay or just kick back with a Bud Light!

Rock on! And you’re coming back, right?
I’ll be there for my grandmother’s birthday this weekend. Nolie Norsworthy is turning 90, so I don’t want to miss that. I loved growing up in Paducah. People are honest, humble, family-oriented and they know where they come from and where they’re going.

Well Jon Wright, you are definitely on the road to great things — maybe even the White House. We’ll be rooting for you and your candidate!

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