Jay B. Ramras (born July 31, 1964) is an American businessman and politician. Ramras was a Republican member of the

Alaska House of Representatives The Alaska State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of approximately 17,756 people pe ...

, being elected to the 10th District in 2004, and served three terms. He served as Chair of the Education Committee, Vice-Chair of the State Affairs Committee, and is a member of the Health & Social Services Committee and the Resources Committee. He also served on the Commerce, Community & Economic Development, Education & Early Development, Environmental Conservation, and Law Finance Subcommittees, for the 26th Legislature. In 2010, Ramras ran for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, but lost the Republican primary to

Mead Treadwell Louis Mead Treadwell II (born March 21, 1956) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 11th lieutenant governor of Alaska from 2010 to 2014. Treadwell also served as chair of the United States Arctic Research Commission from ...

. Ramras is also a hotel and restaurant owner. Beginning in 1986 with a small restaurant called Jaybird's

Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...

world, located in a strip mall just outside downtown Fairbanks, he became successful enough to expand his business footprint throughout the Fairbanks area. In 1993, he purchased the Food Factory, located in the nearby

Bentley Mall Bentley Mall is an enclosed community shopping mall located in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. It is notable as the northernmost mall in both the United States and North America. It is 2 degrees further north latitude-wise than Centre Square ...

, from "Big Bob" Grocott, who established the restaurant in 1980. Ramras sold the Food Factory in 2010. He also later purchased Pike's Landing, near

Fairbanks International Airport Fairbanks International Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles (5 km) southwest of the central business district of Fairbanks, a city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough of the United States state of Alaska. Fairban ...

. In 2000, Ramras, along with partners, opened Pike's Waterfront Lodge next door to Pike's Landing. He has featured himself in numerous

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...

for his businesses over the years. In his commercials for the hotel, he has often espoused his political philosophy and positions. __TOC__

Personal life

Jay Ramras was born in

Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

, the elder of two sons of Dan and Dorothy Ramras. His father moved to Fairbanks from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

in 1947. He graduated from Lathrop High School in 1981, and earned a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in American History from the

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in 1984. Ramras has been a lifelong resident of Fairbanks, with two exceptions. He spent a year living in the small Alaska Native community of Allakaket during his childhood. In 1997, he briefly moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, seeking (ultimately unsuccessfully) to find a Jewish wife willing to move to Alaska with him, becoming a minor national celebrity in the process.

References

External links

Alaska State House Majority Site

Alaska State Legislature Biography

Project Vote Smart profile

Jay Ramras
at ''100 Years of Alaska's Legislature'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramras, Jay 1964 births 21st-century American politicians American hoteliers American restaurateurs Businesspeople from Fairbanks, Alaska Jewish American state legislators in Alaska Lathrop High School (Alaska) alumni Living people Republican Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives Politicians from Fairbanks, Alaska Syracuse University alumni 21st-century American Jews