House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has spent the closing weeks of the midterm cycle on a near-constant campaign schedule, traveling the country to raise money and rally support for Republican lawmakers as the party works to hold its House majority in Tuesday's elections.
A source familiar with Jordan's travel said he has visited 115 districts across 34 states this election cycle. That includes 19 consecutive days on the road before Nov. 3 in states including Washington, Oregon, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois and South Carolina. Some of the events are fundraisers, some are rallies, and some are both, Jordan said.
Jordan said his message is largely the same across very different districts. He argued that Republicans cut taxes and secured the border, and that Democrats would make things worse. He acknowledged that costs remain high, blaming much of that on what he called record inflation under the Biden administration, and said the GOP is working to bring the inflation rate down. "The big issue we talk about is, if these radicals that now control the Democrat Party, if they get control of the government, the crazy things they're gonna do are just frightening," he said.
The effort comes as House Republicans face an uphill fight to retain their majority, with multiple political forecasts showing Democrats positioned to take over the chamber. Jordan is not part of the party's senior leadership trio, which is also crisscrossing the country raising money, but his schedule has been similarly demanding. Unlike leadership, he does not receive charter flights or police motorcades, and most of his travel has been on commercial airlines and long drives, including time spent in traffic.
Jordan has also contributed significant campaign funds, donating $1.97 million to Republicans across the country and $2.65 million to the House GOP campaign arm. Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., said Jordan came to his district for a fundraiser in Gastonia that drew a crowd of nearly 300 people and raised substantial money. Moore said the district also hosted a visit from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., which likewise raised a significant sum.
Jordan has appeared with conservatives in deeply Republican districts as well as with moderates in competitive battlegrounds, a shift that stands out given his past as an anti-establishment leader of the House Freedom Caucus. One House Republican described a "Jordan 2.0" and said a wide range of members see him as a mentor. A second lawmaker said Jordan's travel reflects both requests from members and his own offers to campaign. Asked whether he or the party had changed, Jordan pointed to what he called the larger picture: differences among Republicans are small compared with those between Republicans and what he described as the hard left.
House Republicans and members of the media widely expect Jordan to seek a senior leadership post after previously failing to secure one. If Republicans lose the majority, he is expected to run for minority leader, which would make him Trump's top defender in Congress. Jordan has publicly dismissed those speculations, saying he is focused on Tuesday's vote and that the way to stop what he called radical policy positions is at the ballot box.