Whether Jim Jordan wins the speakership or not, voters in his Ohio district will stand by their man

URBANA, Ohio (AP) — Rep. Jim Jordan, so far, has failed to get the needed votes to become House Speaker but his fight for the coveted leadership role isn't done, and the devotion of many of his constituents back in Ohio seems unwavering.

In Washington, Jordan has made a name for himself as a conservative pugilist — in line with his avid supporter, former President Donald Trump — by being unafraid to duke it out in the political arena, especially against his Democratic colleagues. He's a founder of the Freedom Caucus, a contingent of cantankerous and often chaotic far-right House Republicans, and he's one of the loudest voices continuing to perpetuate false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

In Ohio, Jordan is a hometown boy whose Ohio State University wrestling coach title, conservative policies and never-say-die persona on Capitol Hill have earned him more devotion than he's currently receiving in Congress.

“He says what he believes in, because he's there for the people,” said Betty Lemmon, a 77-year-old Republican from Champaign County. Jordan, she said, would make an excellent House speaker, citing a track record of his leading the ideological charge for Trump, who she voted for in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.