I am lucky to know Jay Gorsh.

I met Jay at a difficult time in my life, back in 2014 at the University of Iowa. I was a student-athlete on the football team, and Jay was teaching a class that I was enrolled in called “Leadership in the Outdoors.”

In hindsight, this was my favorite class in college, culminating in a multi-day, self-sustained canoe trip down a river in northern Wisconsin.

Growing up with a deep appreciation for the outdoors like Jay, the trip was a blast. On the drive back to Iowa City late in the evening, Jay and I found ourselves the only two awake and struck up a fantastic conversation.

With the “class” essentially over, we were free to discuss other topics important to us. We immediately bonded over our shared love for wrestling. Both of us attribute many of our best qualities to the values instilled by that sport. Where I saw Jay’s true colors was when we turned to deeper subjects like family, relationships, and our goals and ambitions.

Jay spoke to me like an older brother, offering valuable advice and perspective from his own life experiences. It was genuine and made me realize that Jay was not “just another teacher.” His instinctual drive to help me was sincere and went well beyond the classroom.

The spring semester ended, and Jay remained a friend and a mentor for me, checking in by text or Facebook every so often to see how I was doing. A few months later, I made the difficult decision to transfer from the UI and finish my athletic career at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

All the while, Jay kept tabs on me — offering support and guidance as I navigated the next few years of my life: finishing college, serving as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, meeting my now-wife, and beginning our lives post-Army out in Colorado.

Jay has been a loyal friend and mentor to me every step of the way. Though it’s been ten years now since we last saw each other, his messages and comments at every major milestone in my life since then have meant the world to me.

This kind of enduring support for me, spanning over a decade, is the reason I know Jay is the right person for the job in District 91. I can’t emphasize enough that when Jay commits himself to a person or a cause, he is unwavering and dedicated for as long as is necessary to see it through. His selflessness is evident from the moment you meet him, and his motives and intentions are pure. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll bend over backward to serve the people of Iowa House District 91 to the best of his ability.

If you cast your vote for Jay Gorsh, you are voting for a man with unrelenting work ethic whose values are in the right place, who puts others first, and who considers those less fortunate when making important decisions.

As I said, I am lucky to know Jay Gorsh, and you will be lucky to have him serve you as state representative for Iowa House District 91.

Reid Sealby