James Jonsten
James Jonsten is an ordained minister who served two years as lay pastor at Burnsville Wesleyan Church in Minnesota and has taught children's church since the 1970s. He has owned construction and commercial services businesses and worked as an insurance claims adjuster, sales manager and trainer. He advanced to the November runoff after taking about 31% of the August 2026 primary vote.
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Sources last checked 2026-09-18. Report an error ↗
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
No public positions on the major issues were found.
No public position found on 7 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Education & school choice, Gender identity laws, Library and classroom materials, Teacher and staff pay, School safety approach. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Campaign themes — Jonsten says education is about building a foundation of leadership and accountability and that he would work to keep Highlands County schools financially sound, safe and focused on student growth. He did not respond to the Florida Trib's interview requests, and no detailed policy positions were located.
- District spending — Jonsten said the school board is too focused on money and spending too much, and should refocus on children; at a July forum he listed being a responsible steward of tax dollars among his priorities.