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Draft:Jason Lee Straw

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Captain
Jason Lee Straw
U.S. Air Force Captain Jason Lee Straw (ret.)
USAF Captain, Retired.
Candidate, Hamilton County Sheriff, 2018 General Election
Personal details
Born
Jason Lee Straw

(1973-09-18) September 18, 1973 (age 50)
Goshen, Indiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic;
Disability Party Medical Advisor
Spousewidower
RelationsAndrew U. D. Straw, Esq. (brother)
Children3
Parent(s)Phillip U. D. Straw
Sandra Kay Isaacs Straw Stevens (deceased)
EducationIndiana University (BA)
Alma materIndiana University
OccupationRetired Critical Care Trauma Nurse & U.S. Air Force Officer
ProfessionCritical Care Trauma Nurse
Nickname"Captain Cannabis"
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Air Force
United States Army
Service years1995–2014
RankCaptain (United States O-3)
UnitCritical Care Air Transport Team
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan

Jason Lee Straw (born September 18, 1973) is an American politician and former U.S. Air Force officer who is medically retired.

Family, Early life and Career

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Straw's father, Phillip U.D Straw, is a retired small business owner from Goshen, Indiana and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War who earned the Gallantry Cross (South Vietnam). Phillip Straw served at Marine Corps Air Station New River, considered to be part of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. He served there from 1968-1970, during the Camp Lejeune water contamination.

Medal earned by Jason Straw's father for his Vietnam Service.
Medal earned by Jason Straw's father for his Vietnam Service.
Bronze Star medal as earned by Jason Straw's grandfather for his Battle of Okinawa service.
Bronze Star medal as earned by Jason Straw's grandfather for his Battle of Okinawa service.

Jason Straw's grandfather, Gerald LeRoy Isaacs, was a World War II veteran and earned a Bronze Star Medal in the Battle of Okinawa. Gerald's brother, Lloyd Isaacs, served in the 82nd Airborne in World War II in Europe.

Bronze Star Awarded to Jason Straw's Grandfather, Gerald LeRoy Isaacs.
Bronze Star Awarded to Jason Straw's Grandfather, Gerald LeRoy Isaacs for Battle of Okinawa Service.

Jason Straw's ancestry includes a direct ancestor who was an American Revolutionary War leader, Thomas Young (American revolutionary). Straw's family includes uncles who served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Straw's male first cousins also served in the Gulf War and the Iraq War. Straw's brother Andrew was present in New York after 9/11 and has a VCF claim for injuries from the toxic dust. Jason Straw was an Afghanistan conflict veteran after his brother's injuries from 9/11. The Straw family was recognized in a Democrats Abroad profile as a military family in 2024.[1] Straw is a distant cousin of Erich Raeder, an infamous World War II admiral in charge of the German Navy. Straw's grandmother's maiden name was Raeder. Straw also traced his ancestry to Rollo and is a descendant of the Lanier family tree. Straw's brother, Andrew U. D. Straw, lives in the Philippines.

Education

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Jason Straw graduated from Northridge High School (Indiana) in Middlebury, Indiana.. Straw is a graduate of Indiana University, where he earned his nursing degree.

Professional career

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Jason Straw is an experienced critical care trauma nurse and marijuana legal reform advocate. He serves as medical advisor to several nonprofits and political organizations.

Military service

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Jason Straw was a field medic and paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1995-1999; he was not deployed overseas during that time. He then served in the Indiana National Guard as a medic from 1999-2001. He served in the United States Air Force as a Critical Care Air Transport Team combat nurse until his medical retirement in 2014 with 17 total years of service at the rank of Captain (armed forces). The United States Air Force published a video of Straw's Critical Care Air Transport Team that included Straw at work (after minute 2:10) on an injured veteran from the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).[2] Straw served two tours in Afghanistan as part of a team that saved hundreds of blown up American veterans who lost limbs and had many internal injuries. Straw's older brother is disabled attorney Andrew U. D. Straw, who was born at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune's Naval Hospital in 1969.[3]

Hamilton County, Indiana, Sheriff Election, 2018

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A member of the Democratic Party, Jason Straw was the Indiana Democratic Party's candidate for sheriff[4] of Hamilton County, Indiana, in 2018. He received 48,810 votes but did not win. The Indianapolis Star noted Straw was an overseas veteran and critical care trauma nurse, and was the first Democrat to run for this office in "half a century."[5] In addition, Straw championed marijuana legalization as a law enforcement reform, choosing to shift resources toward opioids and fentanyl.

"Straw is the first known law enforcement candidate in Indiana history to run on a pro-cannabis platform."[6]

Jason Straw was considered for state chair of the Indiana Democratic Party but Mike Schmuhl was chosen. Straw gave a speech at the 2nd District Chair Election in 2011 about the importance of supporting disabled veterans when Schmuhl was first placed on the State Committee.[7] Straw's brother ran against the former district chair, Butch Morgan, earlier in 2011, and lost 15-1 a few months before Morgan resigned in an election forgery scandal.[8]

Marijuana & Cancer Advocacy

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Jason Straw is a widower. His wife, Shelly Brewer Straw, died of cancer complications in 2024. Straw's mother also died of breast cancer in 1997. Both his mother and wife used marijuana in their treatment plans. Both Jason and his wife were marijuana advocates.[9]

Nurses on Boards Coalition[10] lists Jason Straw's advocacy as:

  • Disability Party Medical Adviser
  • Hoosier Veterans for Medical Cannabis District 5 Leader
  • Higher Fellowship Medical Adviser
  • The National Chronic Pancreatitis Support Network Medical Adviser

Straw is a past statewide chair[11] of Indiana NORML after serving as its Vice-Chairman.[12]

Jason Straw has been known as "Captain Cannabis" and he has been a town hall speaker across Indiana for Indiana NORML.[13]

Jason Straw's mother died of breast cancer in 1997 after being a USMC spouse at Camp LeJeune, N.C. Straw's brother has filed a Camp LeJeune Justice Act claim for their mother's death[14] as well as other claims for the Straw family under that provision of the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022. This is a major litigation in the United States concerning toxic drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. There are currently over 285,000 such claims to the U.S. Navy amounting to several trillion dollars.[15] Breast cancer like Straw's mother had until she died in 1997 is a Track 2 trial condition[16] likely to be tried in 2025. Straw has since her death worked as a nurse with cancer patients who needed bone marrow transplants, including Lance Armstrong. Straw's brother has been a Camp LeJeune advocate for many years and his early Camp LeJeune proposal was featured on KLTV in Texas in 2015.[17]

Political positions

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Marijuana Legalization

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Straw advocates for decriminalization, medical marijuana, and recreational marijuana being legal.[18]

Social issues

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Straw is an advocate for disability rights like his brother and is medical advisor to Disability Party.

Electoral history

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2018 Hamilton County, Indiana, Sheriff
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dennis Quakenbush 82,499 60.67
Democratic Jason Lee Straw 48,810 35.89
Total votes 135,972

References

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  1. ^ "Straw, Andrew". online.fliphtml5.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  2. ^ Military.com (August 9, 2011). "'Evac-istan', USAF Medical Evacuation Mission". Military.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "Andrew Straw". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  4. ^ Schultz, Chris (July 5, 2018). "Hamilton County Democratic Party fields more than 30 candidates for fall election". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Fittes, John Tuohy and Emma Kate. "Hamilton County Republicans take big races in high-turnout election". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Candidate for sheriff says it's time to decriminalize marijuana". wthr.com. August 10, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  7. ^ WKVI (November 14, 2011). "New Chairman Elected for Democratic District 2". WKVI Information Center. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  8. ^ "Longtime Democratic leader Butch Morgan resigns". ABC57. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  9. ^ The Green Nurse (June 20, 2024). The Green Nurse Podcast with Captain Jason Straw USAF, Nurse Corp (Retired). Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Jason Straw – Nurses on Boards Coalition". Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "Indiana lawmakers to discuss cannabis this summer". Fox 59. May 31, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  12. ^ Box, Terri (October 28, 2019). "Board of Directors of the Indiana Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Elect Officers". WBIW. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  13. ^ Captain Jason Straw USAF, Nurse Corp Retired (May 25, 2018). sbtownhalljason1. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ "Straw v. United States, 7:23-cv-01475 - CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Miller, Ronald V.; Jr. (July 25, 2024). "Camp Lejeune Lawsuit News and Updates". Lawsuit Information Center. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  16. ^ Jackson, Irvin (February 27, 2024). "Camp Lejeune Lawsuits Over Prostate, Lung, Liver, Breast Cancer and Kidney Disease To Be Prepared For Track 2 Trials". AboutLawsuits.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  17. ^ Andrew U. D. Straw (June 6, 2015). KLTV: Children of Camp LeJeune Act & Atty Andrew U. D. Straw. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Post-Tribune (February 11, 2023). "Legalization continues elsewhere, but marijuana lobby isn't banking on Indiana". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
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