Jonathan Powers, commonly called Jon Powers (July 3, 1978 - ) is an Iraq War veteran and was the Working Families Party nominee for Congress in New York's 26th congressional district. Powers also unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for Congress. Following the campaign, Jon became the Chief Operating Officer for the Truman National Security Project. He is also a frequent commentator on the Huffington Post. His hometown is Clarence, New York.
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Powers was born and raised in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, New York. He received a Bachelor's degree in Education from John Carroll University.
Powers served as an artillery platoon leader in the 1st Armored Division, and later as the Battalion Commander's Adjutant in Baghdad and Najaf. Captain Powers commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Rabena, described Powers as “one of the most talented officers I have known in twenty-two years of service in the Army.” Rabena went on to say that Powers possesses “extraordinary management skills, leadership, and unmatched talent to accomplish the most difficult tasks with minimal guidance.”
Powers returned from Iraq with the intention of becoming a social studies teacher in Clarence public schools. Because of his experience in Iraq, however, he returned to Baghdad and founded the non-profit organization War Kids Relief.
In 2007, Powers decided to run for Congress in New York's 26th congressional district. Powers received the endorsement of the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. In a three-way primary for the Democratic nomination, Powers and rival Jack Davis, who had been the Democratic nominee in 2004 and 2006, released a series of negative ads targeting one another. The third candidate, Alice Kryzan claimed the Democratic nomination on September 9, 2008. Powers remained the nominee of the Working Families Party despite his efforts to have his name removed from the ballot and his endorsement of Kryzan. Kryzan was defeated by businessman Chris Lee in the general election.
When Powers served in Iraq, he witnessed first hand the need for programs that provide educational, job training, and employment opportunities for Iraqi youth. After he finished his military service, he returned to Baghdad and founded War Kids Relief. War Kids Relief's stated mission is to care for the children of war-torn nations, combating recruitment by terrorists and extremist groups through education, training, employment and other programs.
War Kids Relief programs include developing a Youth Center Work/Study Program that takes advantage of existing infrastructure and serves Iraqi youth between the ages of 16 and 25. War Kids Relief works with Iraqi stakeholders such as the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Education, local civic leaders, religious organizations, and the police to develop programs built on indigenous experience and expertise.
War Kids Relief has been featured in a number of national news stories, including NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams series, "Making a Difference", and the Newsweek for the cover story, "The Next Jihadists: Iraq's Lost Children".
However, the Buffalo News criticized Powers's role in War Kids Relief, noting that the organization raised only $41,738 in 2007, but paid Powers $3,000 a month.[1]
Powers was an Officer in the Army Battalion featured in the documentary Gunner Palace. He participated in a six-week publicity tour promoting the film.