U.S. Representative Jim Jordan has spent most of his life in athletics and politics. Unlike many politicians, he doesn’t have independent businesses that earn him millions per year. He might, however, have some interests that make it possible for him to live well even with a congressional salary.
Jordan has been in the headlines recently as a fervent conservative and supporter of former president Donald Trump. If you want to learn more about his life and finances, you’ll find plenty of information below.
Why Is Jim Jordan Famous?
Jim Jordan is best known as a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group that has been described as having right-wing or far-right politics and frequently pressures the Republican establishment to move further right. Jordan served as the House Freedom Caucus’s from 2015 to 2017. He’s currently the group’s vice-chair.
Jordan has been instrumental in some of the last decade’s most surprising moments in federal politics. Some of Jordan’s most recent political actions include:
- Rallying the Freedom Caucus to push Republican John Boehner from the Speaker of the House position.
- Voting not to certify the 2020 Electoral College results.
- Refusing to cooperate after receiving a subpoena from the U.S. Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.
- Chairing the House Judiciary Committee.
- Receiving a nomination for Speaker of the House, which was later rescinded by the House Republican Conference.
Although Jordan is a polarizing figure, he has never lost a public election. At 14 wins and zero losses, his political career is arguably more successful than his wrestling career.
Despite his success at the ballot box, Jim Jordan has never passed a bill into law. According to the Center for Effective Lawmaking, he’s the fourth least effective member of the 117th House.
The only three House members ranked below him are relatively unknown and have little political influence (Robert Aderholt of Alabama, Brad Finstad of Minnesota, and Kay Granger of Texas). Jordan, however, has been extremely influential within his House Freedom Caucus role.
Jim Jordan Congressman
Jim Jordan is the U.S. Representative for Ohio’s fourth district. He won his first federal election in 2007 and is currently serving his ninth term in Congress.
The American Conservative Union gives Rep. Jordan a perfect score for his outspoken ideals that often don’t align with the majority of Republicans in Congress.
During his nine terms in Congress, Jim Jordan has been a loud, insistent voice on several political positions. Some of his cornerstone positions include:
- Blocking all federal funding to Planned Parenthood.
- Amending the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
- Restricting aid to most foreign countries.
- Allowing oil drills on the Outer Continental Shelf.
- Eliminating tax rebates and subsidies for renewable energy.
- Preventing the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.
- Lowering federal subsidies that pay private businesses to explore areas for oil and gas.
- Repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Jordan’s voting record shows that he opposed expanding VA benefits to veterans who were exposed to dangerous chemicals.
He also opposes all forms of cannabis liberalization, including policy changes that would give veterans access to legal cannabis for PTSD treatment.
How Did Jim Jordan Make His Money?
Jim Jordan made his money as a salaried wrestling coach at Ohio State University and as a politician representing representing the 4th district of Ohio.
Conflicting reports make it difficult to tell how much money Jim Jordan has, so it’s equally challenging to determine precisely how much he has made.
We know that he received a salary from Ohio State University. He might also make money from real estate investments, various businesses, and consulting.
It’s possible that Jordan has a fairly modest net worth that would make him one of the least prosperous members of Congress.
Then again, it’s possible that his business interests earn him nearly $1 million per year on top of his congressional salary.
While it’s nearly impossible to know precisely how Jim Jordan made his money, it’s safe to say that he has rather modest means compared to his colleagues in Congress.
Jim Jordan’s Net Worth
Estimates of Jim Jordan’s net worth vary significantly depending on the source. The government watchdog organization OpenSecrets says Jordan has a net worth around $300,000. It lists his top assets as a bank account holding $65,000 and $175,000 from the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.
Other sources say he has two additional bank accounts worth a total of $3.2 million, an investment portfolio that holds about $8 million in assets, and at least 10 rental properties that earn him about $700,000 per year. According to these sources, the rental properties have a combined value between $5 and $8 million.
All U.S. Representatives earn $174,000 as of 2022. That’s much more than the average household income of $74,580, but not nearly enough to make someone wealthy. He likely has a moderate level of wealth compared to other members of Congress.
As of 2020, about half of Congress people, including representatives and senators, were millionaires. The wealthiest members include:
- Representative Kevin Hern ($361 million)
- Senator Rick Scott ($259.7 million)
- Senator Mark Warner ($214.1 million)
- Representative Greg Gianforte ($189.3 million)
- Senator Mitt Romney ($174.5 million)
What Did Jim Jordan Do For a Living?
Before entering Ohio State politics, Jim Jordan worked for Ohio State University as an assistant coach to the wrestling team.
He often draws connections between athletic competition and working in politics, saying that both require a competitive spirit.
What Did Jim Jordan Do Before Becoming a Congressman?
Jim Jordan primarily worked as an assistant coach for the Ohio University wrestling team before becoming a congressman.
While working for Ohio University, Jordan was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served three terms.
He was elected to the Ohio Senate after winning an overwhelming percentage of votes (88%). He won a second term in 2004.
While working as an elected official, Jordan completed a law degree from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. He says that he never took the bar exam and has never practiced law as a profession.
What Weight Class Did Jim Jordan Wrestle?
Jim Jordan was an impressive student-athlete during high school and college. While attending Graham High School in Champagne County, Ohio, he only lost one of 157 matches.
When he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he joined the wrestling team and competed in the NCAA 134-pound weight class. He was twice the NCAA Division I wrestling champion in his weight class (1985 and 1986).
Jordan even went on to compete as a featherweight in the US Olympic trials but didn’t qualify for the freestyle wrestling team.
Still, he is highly regarded as an accomplished wrestler with more than half a decade of impressive performance. He did so well that he earned an assistant coach position in the University of Ohio’s wrestling program. Jordan served in the position from 1987 to 1995.
During that time, Richard Strauss was the physician for the University of Ohio’s Athletics Department. Two decades later, more than 150 students came forward to accuse Strauss of sexual abuse.
Some of the wrestlers say that Jordan knew about the abuse, but the representative has denied any knowledge and dismissed the allegations as a political witch hunt intended to damage his reputation. No evidence shows that Jordan was aware of the ongoing abuse and no charges have been filed against him.
How Old Is Jim Jordan?
Jim Jordan was born on February 17, 1964, which will make him 60 years old on his 2024 birthday.
That makes him slightly older than the U.S. House of Representatives average (58.4) but younger than the average senator (64.3).
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