Jim Jordan faces 2 foes in race for Ohio’s Ohio’s 4th Congressional District

RICHLAND COUNTY — Three candidates are vying for Ohio’s 4th Congressional District seat in the Nov. 3 general election.

Republican incumbent Jim Jordan faces Democrat Joshua Kolasinski and independent Tracey Tackett.

The annual salary for the two-year congressional term is $174,000.

The fourth district encompasses Richland County and Delaware County among Source Media Properties areas.

Here is a look at all three candidates, in alphabetical order.

Jordan focuses on federal oversight and taxpayer dollars

Jim Jordan has represented Ohio’s 4th Congressional District for nearly two decades.

Before his time in Congress, Jordan served six years as a state representative and six years as a state senator.

The 62-year-old Urbana resident has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree in education from The Ohio State University and a law degree from Capitol University Law School.

Jordan, a Republican, said he is seeking another term to protect tax dollars of families and taxpayers in Ohio’s 4th District and provide oversight of federal programs and the federal bureaucracy.

“Our investigatory work has yielded real results for everyday Americans,” Jordan said, citing investigations into corruption and what he described as anti-conservative bias in the FBI, the origins of a Department of Justice memo and the investigations involving Jack Smith and Fani Willis.

Jordan said the investigations also helped prompt big tech companies to acknowledge what he described as influence from the Biden administration to censor conservative content and contributed to an end to that policy.

“We are continuing to work on ending the so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ policy where some cities do not cooperate with federal law enforcement when it comes to illegal immigration,” he said.

“Regardless of which party is in power, the public deserves thorough federal government oversight,” Jordan said.

Kolasinski aims to shift power back to the people

Joshua Kolasinski, 48, said he wants to change who holds the power in Washington.

The Delaware County resident is a small business owner and operator who runs Flex Biomedical LLC, a company focused on medical equipment installation, maintenance and repair.

Kolasinski, who has never held elected office, said he wants to get big money and foreign money out of politics. 

“I’m seeking this office to shift the power balance back towards the American people and away from nefarious special interests,” he said. 

Healthcare also ranks among his priorities. He said he wants to work toward a healthcare solution that includes a single-payer option, which he believes would save Americans money while providing better healthcare for everyone.

Kolasinski also opposes prisons that operate for profit.

“The idea of prisons that run for profit is abhorrent and incentivizes incarceration,” he said.

If elected, Kolasinski said he would hold an in-person town hall every quarter while in office.

He added he would support the prosecution of corruption and abuse, regardless of which political party committed it.

Kolasinski said he would support a full release of the Epstein files, term limits, a ban on stock trading and a code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court.

“It’s my opinion that most people think the corruption in Washington is hopeless to get rid of,” Kolasinski said. “But I have hope that if we get the right people in office and limit their potential for wealth and power, they’ll actually start working for us.”

Tackett brings local government experience to campaign

Tracey Tackett, 47, of Springfield, said she is running because the district deserves a representative who will listen to people from every political background.

“My campaign is built around the idea of ‘People Over Politics,’” she said.

Tackett is a first-generation college graduate with a master’s degree in public policy and leadership from The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and political science, with honors, from Wittenberg University.

She serves as assistant mayor of Springfield, has owned a small business for the past 12 years and was elected to the Springfield City Commission in 2023. 

“My experience as a local elected official has shown me that government decisions have real consequences for families, workers, businesses and local communities,” she said. “If our communities, cities and villages struggle, then nothing works.”

Tackett said she wants to bring a practical, common-ground approach to Washington and focus on the needs of Ohio’s 4th Congressional District rather than a political party.

Her priorities include strengthening public safety, improving roads and infrastructure, protecting public education, supporting veterans and farmers, expanding economic opportunity, addressing healthcare costs and making the government more accountable.

She said she wants to lower electricity costs through an all-of-the-above energy policy and grid modernization.

“More resources and more decision making needs to go to the local level where our lives are most directly impacted by the government,” she said. “I want to bring a stronger local perspective to Congress.” 

If elected, Tackett said she would form an Independent Caucus in Congress. Independent representatives could play a role in a closely divided House by working outside the two-party structure.

“I don’t think anyone, one person, one group, one ideology has all the answers,” she said. “Being outside the old two-party system, I can be more open to new and better ideas.”