James Daniel Jordan, born on February 17, 1964, is an American politician serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for Ohio’s 4th congressional district since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Early Life and Education:
- Jordan was born in Troy, Ohio, and raised in Champaign County, Ohio.
- He graduated from Graham High School in 1982, where he was a four-time state wrestling champion with a 156–1 win-loss record.
- He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1986, and was a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion.
- He won NCAA championships in 1985 and 1986 in the 134-pound weight class.
- Jordan later earned a master’s degree in education from Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Capital University Law School in 2001.
- He has stated he never took the bar examination.
Early Career:
- Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University from 1987 to 1995.
- During his time as assistant coach, the team physician, Richard Strauss, committed sexual abuse against 177 student-patients. Some involved persons have stated that Jordan knew of Strauss’s misconduct but did not report it, while others have stated he may not have known. Jordan has denied these allegations.
- He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1994, serving three terms.
- In 2000, he was elected to the Ohio Senate, where he served until 2006.
U.S. House of Representatives:
- Jordan has represented Ohio’s 4th congressional district since 2007.
- He won his first election to the U.S. House in 2006, succeeding Mike Oxley.
- He was reelected in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
- Jordan’s district has been redrawn to minimize urban areas and increase rural areas.
- He chaired the Republican Study Committee during the 112th Congress.
- He is a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, serving as its first chair from 2015 to 2017.
- He was the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee from 2019 to 2020, and the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee from 2020 to 2023. He became chair of the House Judiciary Committee in 2023.
- As of 2023, Jordan has not sponsored a bill that has become law.
- He has been described as one of Congress’s most conservative members.
- He has earned a perfect score from the American Conservative Union.
- He is a close ally of Donald Trump.
- He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump in 2021.
- In 2023, Jordan unsuccessfully ran for Speaker of the House.
Political Positions:
- Donald Trump: A close ally and supporter of Donald Trump, Jordan has sought to discredit investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He also supported lawsuits to challenge the 2020 election results and voted against certifying the Electoral College results.
- Antitrust and Tech Policy: Jordan has critiqued “Big Tech” companies, but opposes breaking them up.
- Disinformation Research: As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan has led a legal campaign against researchers studying disinformation.
- Health Care and Drug Policy: Jordan opposes the Affordable Care Act and vaccine requirements. He also opposes efforts to liberalize federal marijuana policy.
- Environment: Jordan signed the “No Climate Tax” pledge in 2008 and has voted against measures to regulate greenhouse gases and support renewable energy.
- Abortion: He opposes abortion and supports banning federal funding to Planned Parenthood.
- Taxes: He supported the Tax and Expenditure Limitation Amendment in Ohio.
- Foreign Policy: Jordan opposed condemning Trump’s withdrawal of forces from Syria. He voted to end Saudi assistance to the war in Yemen. He has voted in opposition to almost all bills to provide military assistance to Ukraine.
- LGBT Rights: He cosponsored a resolution to ban same-sex marriage.
- Veterans: He voted against the PACT Act and the 2016 Veterans Equal Access Amendment.
- COVID-19: Jordan supported protests against government lockdowns and opposes vaccine mandates. He has criticized Anthony Fauci.
Personal Life:
- Jordan is married to Polly Jordan.
- They have four children and two grandchildren.
This profile is based on information from the provided sources.