Rep.-elect Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.-08)

Date of birth: Aug. 18, 1970
Residence: Big Bear Lake, Calif.
Occupation: video game developer, board member for Big Bear City Airport
Education: B.S., California Institute of Technology; M.S., University of California, Los Angeles
Family: wife, Heather; two children

The founder and technical director of a video game developer FarSight Studios, Jay Obernolte is headed to Congress after defeating Chris Bubser (D) in the race to replace retiring Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.), who announced in 2019 that he would not seek reelection and instead filed to run for a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Prior to his victory in November, Obernolte served as a California state assemblyman between 2014-2020 and has also served as mayor and city council member of Big Bear Lake, Calif.

Obernolte also works as a Pacific Unified Martial Arts instructor, in which he holds a 5th degree black belt, and holds a pilot license, which he uses to volunteer to fly wounded and disabled veterans through the Veterans Airlift Command.

– John Bowden