LIMA — Shannon Freshour appears to be on her way to challenging Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, and independent Chris Gibbs for Ohio’s 4th Congressional District seat after winning the Democratic primary against Jeffrey Sites and Mike Larsen.
“Really, I would be honored to battle Jim Jordan in November. I would be honored to fight with everything on the line, and I’ll also be doing it with Jeff and Mike’s support, as they would have my support if they would win, because there is such a need to defeat Jordan,” Freshour said.
With 51.17% of precincts reporting at press time Tuesday night, Freshour had 47.49% of the votes, compared to Sites’ 29.31% and Larsen’s 23.2%.
Freshour pointed to the potential dangers of Jordan’s stance during the coronavirus pandemic, which she said have shown he puts economic needs over the public’s health and safety.
Jordan has held his seat since winning it in 2006, and he has posted commanding leads against challengers ever since, often winning by 30-point spreads throughout his career. In 2020, Jordan is expected to pose another tough challenge. As of the latest federal election commission filing date of April 8, Jordan’s campaign reported close to $2.6 million cash on hand — an all-time personal high for the candidate.
In comparison, Freshour’s campaign posted total receipts of $534,698 in its latest filing with the FEC.
Jordan’s largest campaign fundraising cycle is in part due to his positive relationship with President Donald Trump. Since Trump took office in 2016, Jordan’s national profile has risen in parallel with Trump’s brand of conservatism, thanks to Jordan’s outspoken views defending the president. Today, he numbers among one of the most influential conservative representatives in Congress.
Freshour said Jordan’s large fundraising totals can be a “double-edged sword” for the congressman. Since Jordan’s profile has risen, much of his fundraising dollars have been earmarked for other conservative campaigns across the country, meaning the amount he can use at home may be much less than what his campaign has reported in total.
