Tony Jones, a member of the Reform Party, was appointed to the Narragansett, Rhode Island, Historical Cemetery Commission in late January. According to an official statement released by the Reform Party, he is the fourth person supported by the Reform Party to be “elected or appointed to a public office in the past nine months.”
Boards and committees like that of the Historical Cemetery Commission are standard municipal responsibilities in New England communities. Typically appointed by the local government, although occasionally elected on the annual town election ballot, they primarily focus on the maintenance and preservation of local cemetery districts and historic structures. Jones was appointed to serve a three-year term.
Before his appointment, Jones was an active member of his local community. He hosts a local FM radio host and works with the Reform Party National Committee. In 2018, Jones successfully won an election to the North Kingston School Department Committee, where he served until he was required to resign due to moving to Narragansett. In 2022, Jones unsuccessfully ran for the Narragansett School Committee, securing 1,814 votes (10.1%) in a top-five election but ultimately falling short. For Jones, major campaign priorities at the time included equity, transparency, and a responsible budget mindful of artistic and cultural needs.
Other recent Reform Party officeholders referenced alongside Jones in the press statement include Reform member Shawn Storm, who was appointed to the Richland County, Montana, Zoning Board in 2022, as well as Democrat Taylor Darling and Libertarian Jennifer Wadsworth, who ran for New York State Senate and Wake County, North Carolina, Soil and Water Board respectively.
While members of other political parties, Darling and Wadsworth were cross-endorsed by their state Reform Parties ahead of the 2022 midterm cycle and proved successful in their respective elections. The Reform Party lists under a dozen elected officials nationwide on its official website, not including Storm, Darling, Wadsworth, and Jones. The majority of Reform officeholders are from New York.