Jim Jordan and Tamie Wilson compete for 4th Congressional seat

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, faces Democrat Tamie Wilson of Delaware in the 4th Congressional District race.

The two are competing for a two-year term in a job that pays $174,000 annually.

The newly redrawn district includes all of Champaign, Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Harden, Logan, Marion, Morrow, Richland and Union counties and parts of Delaware, Shelby, and Wyandot counties.

Neither Jordan nor Wilson agreed to be interviewed for this story, which was compiled using their websites, public records and comments they made in earlier interviews.

Jordan raised $9.3 million to Wilson’s $22,090 as of June 30, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Updated reports are due Oct. 15.

Here is a look at the candidates.

Jim Jordan

Jim Jordan
Age: 58
Address: Urbana
Education: Bachelor's degree in economics, University of Wisconsin; Master's degree in education, Ohio State University; law degree, Capital University
Family: Married, four children
Current employment: Member of U.S. House of Representatives
Political experience: Ohio House of Representatives,1995-2000; Ohio Senate, 2001-2007; U.S. House of Representatives, 2007-current
Political Party: Republican
Website: jimjordanforcongress.com

Jordan is co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, led the questioning of witnesses during hearings for then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 and defended him in the second one in 2021.

Jordan has been mentioned as a possible successor to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, if Republicans take control of the House in 2023.

Jordan is critical of what he calls “out of control” federal spending.

“Many of the roles currently filled by government agencies would be better left to individuals, private businesses and non-profit organizations,” Jordan said on his congressional website.

He wants to reduce regulations, increase domestic oil and gas production and make tax cuts permanent.

“Low taxes foster a healthier economy across the board — encouraging entrepreneurship, job creation and improving the international competitiveness of our nation’s businesses,” according to his website.

He calls for agricultural policies “that open up the playing field, so that our farmers can better compete in the national and international markets.”

Jordan opposes additional controls on guns, including red flag laws or expanded background checks.

Jordan in 2007 co-sponsored the Right To Life Act, which would give equal protection to the “born and preborn human person,” according to the bill.

“Additionally, I am committed to defending the sanctity of marriage and the family,” Jordan said on his website. “I oppose all attempts to redefine marriage, and I support the right of parents to supervise what their children learn and how they are educated.”

He opposes illegal immigration and amnesty.

Jordan’s website says his strategy for battling “illegal immigration is threefold: secure the border, robustly enforce our immigration laws and fix the system so that it works for those who want to come to our country legally — by working hard, learning the language and becoming Americans.”

Jordan was one of 147 members of Congress who voted against certifying Democrat Joe Biden as winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Earlier this year Jordan did not comply with a subpoena to testify before the U.S. House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

“Representative Jim Jordan was in communication with President Trump on January 6th and participated in meetings and discussions throughout late 2020 and early 2021 about strategies for overturning the 2020 election,” said Chairman U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, in his May announcement that Jordan and four other GOP house members were subpoenaed.

Jordan has confirmed he spoke to Trump on Jan. 6 but said in a Fox News interview that the committee is presenting evidence “in a completely partisan fashion.”

Tamie Wilson

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Tamie Wilson
Age: 50
Address: Delaware
Education: Attended Otterbein University
Family: One child
Current Employment: Life coach consultant
Political Experience: Member Delaware County Democratic Party Executive Committee, civil and women's rights activist
Political Party: Democrat
Website: tamiewilson.com

Wilson is self-employed as a life coach and business consultant. The first-time candidate said she is “running to not just be a voice for the hard working lower- to middle-class Americans but to be their action taker, to be their advocate.”

She said Jordan has done nothing for Ohioans or his district.

“All he does is scream his head off and defend Trump,” Wilson said in an April interview. “He voted against the (2018) farm bill, he voted against the child tax credit.”

She said she would fight to cut prescription drug prices and to make health care more affordable and she criticized Jordan for opposing efforts to lower Medicare prescription drug prices.

Wilson said her job and her experiences with financial hardship, including bankruptcy, and with discrimination and other difficulties will help her in writing legislation and negotiating if she is elected to Congress.

“I want to help end suffering and help all Ohioans live better lives,” Wilson said in April.

She wants to implement life skills programs in schools and workplaces, teaching anger and conflict management, financial literacy and emotional intelligence. Wilson believes that would help prevent gun violence and domestic abuse.

“We also need to have common sense gun reform,” Wilson said. “We need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and mentally ill people.”

A supporter of LGBTQ and women’s rights, Wilson called for equal pay and stronger laws against domestic violence, sexual assault and workplace sexual harassment.

“With Roe v. Wade overturned, it’s never been more important for me to win this race in OH-04 and expand our pro-choice majority in the House!” Wilson said on her website.

She supports reform of policing and immigration, wants term limits and says government should stop taxing overtime pay, bonuses less than $10,000 and Social Security checks. She would raise taxes on the top 1% of income earners and corporations.

Wilson also supports a gas tax holiday to help Ohioans cope with inflation and supports canceling student loan debt.

In her heavily rural district, Wilson called for more to be done to address soil health, including adoption of more sustainable regenerative agriculture practices. And she supports antitrust enforcement of the meat industry.

“Our farmers are the backbone of our country,” Wilson said. “I want to support farmers because being sure we can feed our country is a national security issue.”

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