John Dooley Jr.

John Dooley Jr.

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Gahanna-Jefferson City School District school board At-large

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

Columbus Alternative High School

Bachelor's

The Ohio State University, 1997

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, Ohio

Religion

Christian

Profession

Barber

Contact

Campaign website

John Dooley Jr. is running for election for an at-large seat of the Gahanna-Jefferson City School District school board in Ohio. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Dooley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

John Dooley Jr. was born in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Columbus Alternative High School. He attended Central State University and earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in 1997. Dooley's professional experience includes working as a barber. He has been affiliated with Omega Psi Phi.

Elections

2025

See also: Gahanna-Jefferson City School District, Ohio, elections (2025)

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Gahanna-Jefferson City School District school board At-large (3 seats)

Incumbent Kara Coates, incumbent Megan Dimmerling, incumbent Dion Manley, John Dooley Jr., and Cynthia Lampkins are running in the general election for Gahanna-Jefferson City School District school board At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Kara Coates (Nonpartisan)
		Megan Dimmerling (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Dion Manley (Nonpartisan)
		John Dooley Jr. (Nonpartisan)
		Cynthia Lampkins (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2023

See also: Gahanna-Jefferson City School District, Ohio, elections (2023)

General election

General election for Gahanna-Jefferson City School District school board At-large (2 seats)

Incumbent Daphne Moehring and incumbent Beryl Brown Piccolantonio defeated Cynthia Lampkins and John Dooley Jr. in the general election for Gahanna-Jefferson City School District school board At-large on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Daphne Moehring (Nonpartisan)	30.8	10,255
✔		Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (Nonpartisan)	28.5	9,492
		Cynthia Lampkins (Nonpartisan)	21.7	7,243
		John Dooley Jr. (Nonpartisan)	19.0	6,318

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,308
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Dooley received the following endorsements.

• State Auditor Keith Faber (R)
• Franklin County, Ohio, Republican Party
• Gahanna, Ohio, Republican Party
• Central Ohio Republican Council of Clubs
• Moms for Liberty, Franklin County, Ohio
• Restore Liberty

Pledges

Dooley signed the following pledges.

• Moms For Liberty

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Dooley Jr. completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dooley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

A Central Ohio native, John graduated from Columbus Alternative High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University. While in college, he discovered a passion for barbering and has since built a successful 25-year career as a licensed barber. Raised by a teacher and a social worker, John learned the importance of education, service, and strong family values—principles that continue to guide his life and leadership. Above all, John is a devoted and hands-on father of three. He takes pride in being deeply involved in his children’s academic and extracurricular lives. His oldest graduated in 2023 as one of the class valedictorians, his second graduated in 2025 after active participation in the Gahanna Bands program and now continues in the Ohio State University Jazz Band, and his youngest is an honor roll high school sophomore. John believes that being present and engaged in his children’s education provides valuable insight into the needs of students, families, and educators alike

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?

• Ensure a safe learning environment by maintaining punctual and accurate classroom attendance and requiring all student in hallways to have adult permission.
• Ensure the district is fiscally responsible with clear, easily accessible information for full transparency.
• Increase parent involvement while protecting parents' rights. John firmly believes in all Gahanna schools providing complete disclosure and transparency regarding all academic teachings so parents are fully informed of what our children are learning every day.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1. Post Graduation Success-starting early with our students, late elementary & consistently through middle school, introducing financial literacy, trades, entrepreneurship & career exploration into our school curriculum.

2. Supporting Well-Rounded Education with Arts & Extracurricular Programs. Protect & expand funding for arts and band programs that foster teamwork, creativy and belonging. John witnessed how the Gahanna Band program helped his 2nd child thrive, building confidence & self-esteem through the support of caring, committed teachers

3. Teacher Support & Retention: advocate for competitive teacher pay, supportive & safe work environments. Ensure educators have the tools & resources they need to meet diverse student needs

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

Characteristics that are most important for an elected official include integrity — doing what is right even when no one is watching. An elected official’s actions should consistently reflect the expectations and promises they share with the community, demonstrating honesty, accountability, and genuine commitment through their daily life. Their expectations that are making to others is already displayed in their own personal life.

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

My first job was assisting my father in cleaning St. John’s Lutheran Church on the west side of Columbus. I started when I was 14 years old and worked part time for about three years. The experience taught me the value of hard work, responsibility, and taking pride in every task—no matter how big or small.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

In my experience as an active father of my three children, teachers are most effective when students come to school supported by a stable home base and a clear understanding of expectations for learning and behavior. For students new to our country or whose families are unfamiliar with the American education system, schools must provide extra guidance and communication so that everyone begins on equal footing.

Once those fundamentals are established, good teaching means focusing on the basics—strong instruction in reading, writing, math, and history. Teachers should be clear, consistent, and passionate about helping students master these essential skills. A good teacher not only delivers content but also inspires curiosity, respect, and critical thinking without inserting political or ideological agendas.

Good teaching is measured by genuine student growth—academically, behaviorally, and personally. That growth can be seen in improved reading comprehension, math proficiency, attendance, engagement, and respect for others. It’s also measured by how well teachers communicate with parents and involve them as partners in their child’s success. Transparent reporting and consistent feedback between home and school help ensure that progress is real and sustainable.

Teachers should have access to professional development and the flexibility to innovate while staying rooted in solid fundamentals. Ultimately, good teaching thrives in an environment of transparency, respect, and partnership—where parents, teachers, and students each play an active role.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

I envision a learning environment where every student can thrive academically, feel safe, and be supported by both teachers and parents working together.

In my ideal classroom, academic excellence is the foundation. Students are challenged to master core subjects like reading, writing, math, and history—skills that prepare all students for lifelong success. Lessons are focused, purposeful, and designed to build critical thinking, not political or ideological influence.

A key part of his vision is safety and respect. Every child should come to school each day knowing they are protected from violence, bullying, or physical harm—whether in the classroom, hallway, cafeteria, or playground. Schools should be structured, orderly, and nurturing places where discipline is fair and consistent, and kindness is expected.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

An accomplishment that I am proud of is fatherhood because once you are responsible for someone else's life, more is required of you than of the child. You take the lead, you carry the load. While this was done for me, I really only appreciated my parent's sacrifice once I become a father myself.

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.

2023

John Dooley Jr. completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dooley'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.

A Central Ohio native, John graduated from Columbus Alternative High School and later earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University. While attending college, he grew to love the skill of cutting hair and has worked as a licensed barber for 25 years. He was raised in a loving and nurturing family with his father, a teacher and mother a social worker. Both parents modeled and taught the significance of strong family values, financial responsibility and education. Member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Eta Gamma chapter 1990.

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?

• Bridge the gap between teachers and parents.
• Returning the focus to academics and classroom positivity.
• Ensure child safety on campus.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education and child safety

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

I look up to my father and my Pastor. I follow their example of living. These are men of integrity. They keep their word. I can trust them to do right, even when no one is looking.

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

The Iran hostage crisis. 9 years old at that time.

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

Snapps Burgers. Worked there for almost 2 years.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Gahanna Republican Party

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.

Other survey responses

Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Dooley completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.

• League of Women Voters

See also

2025 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Gahanna-Jefferson City School District school board At-large

Website