Nearly two decades into his tenure representing Ohio's 4th Congressional District, Republican Jim Jordan is facing two challengers this fall: Democrat Joshua Kolasinski, a Delaware County small-business owner, and independent Tracey Tackett, Springfield's assistant mayor. Voters across the district will decide the race on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
A Long-Held Seat Meets New Challengers
Jordan has represented the district since 2007, according to richlandsource.com, which reports he served six years as a state representative and six years as a state senator before his election to Congress. The outlet notes the 62-year-old Jordan, who hails from Champaign County, is seeking another term because, in his words, he wants to protect tax dollars and provide oversight of federal programs and bureaucracy. As Cleveland 19 News notes, Jordan holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Ohio State University and Capital University, coached wrestling at Ohio State, and was himself a former wrestling champion. The station also reports Jordan has built a close alliance with President Donald Trump, who awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021.
Jordan's annual salary, should he win another two-year term, would be $174,000, per the same richlandsource.com account. On the voting-record front, VoteSee reports Jordan has voted with the Republican majority 91% of the time and participated in 97% of roll-call votes during the 119th Congress, earning the site's report card grade of D.
Kolasinski Pitches Reduced Money in Politics
Kolasinski, 48, operates Flex Biomedical LLC, a medical-device business, and has lived in Delaware County since 2012, according to Cleveland 19 News. The station reports he attended Owens Community College and Siena Heights University, per his LinkedIn profile. Richlandsource.com's reporting shows Kolasinski says he is running to reduce the influence of big and foreign money in politics and shift power back toward ordinary Americans, adding that he wants to work toward a healthcare solution that includes a single-payer option. His campaign website also cites government accountability, transparency and affordability as reasons for his run, Cleveland 19 News reports.
VoteSee's FEC data runs through Oct. 14, 2026. VoteSee's ballot tracker lists Jordan with $6.0 million in cash on hand and Kolasinski with $4,000.
Tackett Calls for an Independent Caucus
Tackett, 47, lives in Clark County and serves as Springfield's assistant mayor after winning election to the Springfield City Commission in 2023, richlandsource.com reports. She holds degrees from Wittenberg University and Ohio State University and owns a small art studio, per Cleveland 19 News. Her campaign website describes her as a voice for the middle and lists reforming Congress and rebuilding the immigration system among her top issues.
Richlandsource.com reports Tackett's campaign is built around the slogan People Over Politics, with priorities that include strengthening public safety, improving roads and infrastructure, supporting public education, veterans and farmers, lowering healthcare costs and pushing government accountability. If elected, Tackett said she would form an Independent Caucus in Congress, according to the same report. The Springfield News-Sun notes the seat is currently held by Jordan and that the district includes all or parts of 14 counties, among them Clark, Champaign and Delaware.
A Redrawn Map Reshapes the District
This is the first election cycle under Ohio's newly redrawn congressional map, which lawmakers finalized in October 2025, per Cleveland 19 News. The district's boundaries were recently redrawn. Voters in the district have historically elected Republicans to the seat, the station notes, and all 435 U.S. House districts nationwide are being contested in 2026.
The redistricting push extended well beyond Jordan's district. According to Signal Ohio, Republican and Democratic legislative leaders struck a handshake deal on a new statewide congressional map that tilts decidedly toward the GOP, with Republicans favored on paper to win 12 of Ohio's 15 districts. That map was also designed to improve Republican chances in the state's three most competitive Democratic-held districts, Signal Ohio reports, and if approved would remain in place through the 2032 election.
With three names on the ballot and a fundraising gap that heavily favors the incumbent, voters across Ohio's reshaped 4th District will decide next week who represents them in Washington for the next two years.
