The Reason Jed Duggar Is Going Into Politics
On October 26, Jed Duggar surprised Counting On fans by joining Instagram. This may seem like no big deal, but people in the know understand the Duggars typically don't join the social media platform unless they are courting or engaged. Needless to say, Jed's first post raised quite a few eyebrows, and at least one fan straight up asked if he joined because he was currently courting.
Jed isn't the only Duggar to break this unwritten rule (that Jessa Duggar once claimed was just a coincidence, per InTouch). Earlier in 2019, Jana, the eldest Duggar daughter, joined Instagram despite still being single. In Jed's case, though, fans weren't left waiting for an explanation for very long. Just a week after his first post, People reported Jed had announced he was running for Arkansas State Representative.
Jed Duggar is following in his father's footsteps
Jed's dad, Jim Bob Duggar, served as an Arkansas State Representative from 1999 to 2002, which was followed by a subsequent run for a seat on the United States Senate that resulted in a loss. Now, almost 20 years later, Jed is following a similar path as his father.
Jed's announcement was accompanied by a video that gave his followers an insight into his platform. In the caption, he wrote, "I will unequivocally advocate for conservative values. I am a Christian and I will stand up for religious liberty, I am pro-life and I will be an advocate for the unborn, and I will always defend our Second Amendment. With your support, I will be a strong, conservative voice in Little Rock for District 89."
In addition to the above, Jed revealed in another Instagram post that he will, if elected, work to combat the opioid crisis and lower taxes.
Jed later shared a photo of himself officially registering as a candidate at the Arkansas State Capitol and revealed his next step would be meeting voters in an attempt to earn their vote.