Jay Allen

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Jay Allen

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1984

Graduate

Carnegie Mellon University, 1987

Medical

Drexel University, 1993

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1993 - 2017

Personal

Birthplace

Warren, Pa.

Religion

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Profession

Physician

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Jay Allen (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Maine's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Allen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Allen's professional experience includes working as a family physician. He retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army, having served from 1993 to 2017. Allen earned a bachelor's degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984, a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 1987, and an M.D. from Drexel College in 1993.

Elections

2020

See also: Maine's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Maine's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (July 14 Democratic primary)

Maine's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (July 14 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Maine District 1

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Chellie Pingree in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Chellie Pingree	62.2	271,004	0	Won (1)
		Jay Allen	37.8	165,008	0	1
	Submit photo	Nancy Farrand (Write-in)	0.0	0	0	1
	Submit photo	Ian Arthur Leavitt (Write-in)	0.0	0	0	1
		Undeclared Write-insUndeclared write-in candidates may advance past the first round in some ranked-choice elections. If the official source reports write-in votes by candidate name, Ballotpedia displays them alongside the ballot-qualified candidates. However, if write-in votes are reported without a name, they will instead be included in the total write-in votes figure in Round 1. Please consult the official elections source for more details about unnamed write-in candidate vote totals past Round 1.	0.0	15	0

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 436,027
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Democratic primary election

Democratic Primary for U.S. House Maine District 1

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Chellie Pingree in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
✔		Chellie Pingree	100	102,773	0	Advanced (1)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 102,773
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Republican primary election

Republican Primary for U.S. House Maine District 1

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Jay Allen in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
✔		Jay Allen	100	31,124	0	Advanced (1)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,124
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jay Allen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Allen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a family physician and combat veteran. I retired from the Army after 23 years. I currently practice in the MidCoast region of Maine.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As a military veteran, I have taken an oath to defend the Constitution. That oath does not have an expiration date. I will continue to uphold the Constitution.
• Freedom is not free. We have a responsibility to defend our freedoms, not only for the sake of our children and grandchildren, but also to honor those men and women who have given their lives to defend our freedoms.
• Taxes are a frictional cost on our economy. High taxes destroy jobs, companies and people's lives.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Health policy, defense, foreign affairs.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Fred Rogers. He treated every person he spoke with like they were the most important person in the world. He taught me to love and appreciate every individual.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Compassionate Conservative.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, fiscal responsibility, devotion to liberty

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, integrity.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Uphold the Constitution. Preserve individual rights.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As President Reagan said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It has to be fought for and defended by each generation." I want to be known as someone who defended freedom.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event that I remember was Apollo 11. I was eight years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was making photocopies in my college's photocopy department. I had it for about four months.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Unbroken. It is a testament to the dignity and fortitude of the human spirit and the healing power of our Savior.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Ray Kinsella. He was an idealist who pursued his dreams no matter how improbable they seemed and the world was better for it.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Come on, Eileen".

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House of Representatives is called "The People's House" because it is supposed to be closest to the people that they serve. That's also the reason that Representatives are elected for only a two year term, to make them more responsive to the people that they serve.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, I think it's detrimental. We need people with real world experience. We are stuck with people who have spent whole careers in public office. They have become disconnected from the people they are supposed to serve.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The fundamental decision we face as a nation is which path we want to follow as we move forward. The choice placed before us is freedom and independence on one hand and increased dependence on the government on the other hand. While government programs appear appealing, they come at a cost of liberty.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Yes.

Armed Services
Energy and Commerce

Veterans Affairs

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I think term limits are critical to improving the climate in Washington. We have too many elected officials that are more interested in getting re-elected than they are in serving the people they were elected to represent. Term limits would eliminate career politicians.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

No.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Bruce Poliquin

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

Coronavirus Weekly Updates Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Maine's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Susan Collins (R)

Angus King (I)

Representatives

District 1

Chellie Pingree (D)

District 2

Jared Golden (D)

Democratic Party (2)

Republican Party (1)

Independent (1)