URBANA — Jim Jordan will continue to represent area residents in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jordan, R-Urbana, had a closer race against Democrat Janet Garrett than he had the previous two times, yet he still won 65 percent of the vote compared to Garrett’s 35 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.
In 2016, Jordan dispatched Garrett by a 68 percent-32 percent margin, the same margin he beat her in 2014.
Jordan had his strongest victories in Auglaize and Shelby counties, where he had 80 percent of the votes. In Shelby County, Jordan received 14,694 votes, compared to Garrett’s 3,638 votes. In Auglaize County, Jordan had 15,187 votes to Garrett’s 3,714 votes. The only county where Garrett won was Lorain County, where she had 58 percent of the votes.
Despite a strong pre-election push in Allen County, Garrett managed just 32 percent of the votes there, compared to 68 percent for Jordan, who expressed an interest in becoming Speaker of the House in the next Congress.
“In spite of these disappointing results, we’re not going to stop organizing,” Garrett said in a press release. “I certainly am not going anywhere. While this is the last time I will run for this seat, I plan to remain the activist I have always been. I hope that I’ll see you there at my side standing up for what is right.”
Jordan announced Wednesday morning that he will be running for House Minority Leader. He will be challenging the current Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, after the Democrats regained control of the House following Tuesday’s election.
For Jordan, it was another runaway win since entering the House in 2006.
His closest race was in 2012, when he picked up 58 percent of the votes in a three-way race with Democrat Jim Slone (37 percent) and Chris Kalla (5 percent).
His largest victory was in 2010, when he picked up 72 percent of the vote, compared to Democrat Doug Litt’s 25 percent and Libertarian Donald Kissick’s 4 percent.
Garrett’s effort was reminiscent of Ben Konop’s campaign in 2004 against incumbent Mike Oxley, when the plucky Democrat picked up 41 percent of the vote compared to Oxley’s 59 percent.
