Jonas Johansen Hestnes (October 27, 1869 – November 19, 1926) was a Norwegian newspaper editor and a politician for the Liberal Party.

Hestnes served as the editor of the Liberal Party newspaper Romsdalsposten in Kristiansund from 1891 to 1926.

[1][3] Hestnes was known as a proficient public speaker, and was much influenced by his friendship with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Hans Rasmus Astrup, Vilhelm Andreas Wexelsen, and Johannes Steen.

[3] He was the only Riksmål proponent in the Liberal Party's parliamentary group after 1909 and he campaigned vigorously for this issue, which almost cost him the nomination in 1912.

His positions in the business world included chair of the Nordmøre Marine Insurance Association (1906–1910), director of the Nordmøre Telephone Company, member of the board of trustees of the Kristiansund Savings Bank in 1902, and a board member at Norges Bank's local branch from 1912 to 1926.