Jess J. Present
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jess J. Present
| image =
| caption =
| state_assembly= New York
| district = 150th
| term_start = January 1, 1967
| term_end = December 31, 1968
| predecessor = Frank Walkley
| successor = John W. Beckman
| office2 =
| term_start2 =
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| birth_date = July 28, 1921
| birth_place = Jamestown, New York
| death_date = {{death date and age|1998|8|8|1921|7|28}}
| party = Republican
| spouse =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = Allegheny College
| profession = politician
| religion =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Jess J. Present (July 28, 1921 – August 8, 1998) was an American politician from New York.
Life
He was born on July 28, 1921, in Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York. He attended Jamestown High School and Allegheny College. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Force. Afterwards he became a jeweler. He married Elaine Coates,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oAsnAAAAMAAJ&q=new+york+red+book+jess+present+jeweler |title=The New York Red Book |date=1970 |publisher=Williams Press |language=en}} and they had two sons.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1966 to 1968, sitting in the 176th and 177th New York State Legislatures.
He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1969 until his death in 1998, sitting in the 178th, 179th, 180th, 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th, 191st and 192nd New York State Legislatures.
Present almost lost his 1992 re-election campaign to his Democratic opponent Nancy Bargar after machine ballots showed Bargar ahead by 900 votes. However, after counting absentee ballots and performing a machine recount, Present was declared the winner by 190 votes.[https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/24/nyregion/a-recount-lets-senator-retain-seat.html A Recount Lets Senator Retain Seat] in the ''New York Times on November 24, 1992 Present was hurt in the general election by having Republican Assemblyman John W. Hasper win nine percent of the vote as the Conservative nominee. Hasper had lost the Republican primary to Present in September 1992.
Shortly after his election scare in 1992, Present was chosen as Deputy Majority Leader. Present was closely allied with Rockefeller Republican Ralph J. Marino during his time as senator. In 1994, after the Republican Revolution saw George Pataki elected governor against Marino's wishes, Marino was ousted as Majority Leader and replaced with Joseph Bruno. Present left as Deputy Majority Leader in January 1995 when Bruno chose one of his allies for the post.
Present died on August 8, 1998, in Bemus Point, New York.[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/11/nyregion/jess-j-present-77-legislator-and-gop-leader.html Jess J. Present, 77, Legislator and G.O.P. Leader] in the New York Times on August 11, 1998
Sources
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{{succession box | title = New York State Assembly
164th District | before = new district | years = 1966 | after = district abolished}}
{{succession box | title = New York State Assembly
150th District | before = Frank Walkley | years = 1967–1968 | after = John W. Beckman }}
{{s-par|us-ny-sen}}
{{succession box | title = New York State Senate
57th District | before = James F. Hastings | years = 1969–1982 | after = William Stachowski}}
{{succession box | title = New York State Senate
56th District | before = William Stachowski | years = 1983–1998 | after = Patricia McGee}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Present, Jess J.}}
Category:Republican Party New York (state) state senators
Category:Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly
Category:Politicians from Jamestown, New York
Category:Allegheny College alumni
Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature