Tamie Wilson of Delaware County is looking to finally end the tortuous reign of Jim Jordan and his smirk in Ohio’s 4th congressional district. This will be the second try for this self-described “common sense candidate.” The odds are against her, as some polls have Jordan at a double-digit lead.

But the Democrat doesn’t see it that way. She’s steadfastly optimistic. She’s been at county fairs talking to District 4 voters, something Jordan rarely does. A third candidate, a libertarian, has entered the race, and she believes they will siphon votes away from Jordan. But there’s also a wild card about to be thrown down in her favor by George Clooney. His documentary on Jordan’s role – or lack thereof – in the Ohio State University sexual abuse scandal of its male athletes by Dr. Richard Strauss is scheduled to hit HBO in September or October.

“I feel so good about my race, I am not kidding,” Wilson told the Free Press. “Because 70 percent of the district are independents. And if you factor in Issue 1 and 2, I am probably polling at around 43 percent. While his approval rating has dropped to 48 percent. And a libertarian just joined the race. So he will take at least 3 percent from Jordan. That will put him [Jordan] at 45 percent. He’s toast.”

She gets goosebumps talking about her race, and you should too. She has a five-point plan to “Get Things Done for the People.” District 4 is a sprawling Ohio GOP gerrymandered mess through the heart of the state. It is mostly rural, yet nonsensically includes a sliver of far north and northwest Columbus. However, during Jordan’s nearly two-decade rule, parts of District 4 have metamorphosized. Professionals and young people have been pouring into Delaware County, the fastest growing county in Ohio over the previous decade.

“I am working really hard. I am going to all the fairs. I am talking to people. They are so fed up,” she says. “They want change. I am being very well-received by most people. Out of ten there’s maybe one who’s nasty, [and says] ‘I don’t want to talk to you’. But everyone else wants to listen to me and have a conversation. I ask them: what’s going on in your life? what issues are important to you? And we will sit there and talk about it. And I tell them, ‘This is what I want to do to help you with that because I am going through that myself.’”

Wilson has befriended some of Dr. Strauss’s victims – there could be over 200 – and many wholeheartedly support her because many are former Ohio State wrestlers. Jordan was the assistant coach of the OSU wresting team between 1987 and 1995 during the years the abuse is alleged to been at its unchecked zenith. These same victims have told the likes of the Washington Post that Jordan knew what was happening yet turned a cold shoulder.

But Wilson has another serious beef with Jordan in the way he’s treated District 4. He’s been paid $3 million in salary during this time, has voted against the people 97 percent of the time, and has an “F” grade for the least productive legislator in Congress.

“When I tell people these things, they can’t believe it. They’re like ‘Really?’” she says. “Jordan doesn’t bring any money home. He never has. He doesn’t create work here. He rejected the CHIPS Act, which is bringing ten thousand jobs to where? New Albany. He rejected jobs to Ohio, and he doesn’t even bother to fight for the people in his own district. Ten thousand jobs making $100,000 a year that he turned his nose to and totally rejected it. He should have been fighting to get those jobs here, that’s what I would have been doing.”

He also voted against veterans, the PACT Act, a law that expanded VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. “But he wants to sit there and act like he’s a patriot. It’s terrible,” she says.

He also voted against the Violence Against Women Act. “Who votes against violence against women? Who votes against that?” demands Wilson.

And last but certainly not least: “He does not represent the people of District 4. At all. He doesn’t do anything for anyone here.”

Just within the last month Wilson has accomplished something no previous Dem candidate running against Jordan has come close to – raising $1 million in her campaign war chest.

“Number one, no one has run a real campaign against the guy. No one has had the money to advertise what a piece of [poop] he is. The people who have run against him told me, ‘I just couldn’t stomach him running untested’. I am running to win. I want to help people. I care about people,” she says.

And even though she told the Free Press she is not a staunch progressive but more a moderate, progressives have embraced her. This makes sense because what Democratic voter has any respect for Jordan who helped start the congressional Freedom Caucus?

“Tamie Wilson embodies a vibrant and multifaceted personality. Energy and gregariousness. She is a fountain of energy, radiating enthusiasm and positivity. Her nature allows her to connect with people from all walks of life,” says Columbus progressive activist Cynthia Brown, who is a friend of Wilson.

The granddaughter of a WWII veteran, Wilson worked on her uncle’s farm in Gallipolis, and as a young adult she worked with special needs children. A devoted single mother to her son Anthony, notes Brown, she understands the importance of family values.

“Tamie brings a fresh perspective to the political arena. Her ability to engage in thoughtful discourse and build bridges is commendable. She is deeply committed to community service, having worked with special needs children and advocating for survivors of abuse. Her compassion drives her dedication to improving healthcare access for all. Her upbringing in Ohio, surrounded by hardworking relatives, informs her commitment to community and service. Her personality combines energy, intelligence, compassion, and a strong sense of purpose,” said Brown.

Advocating for victims of abuse and domestic abuse, for example, is something Wilson herself dealt with personally. She wrote a bill for Congress, and has met with lawmakers to have it introduced, called The Comprehensive Sexual Abuse Prevention and Accountability Act. “My bill will help protect and prevent students and athletes from being sexually abused,” she says, adding, “One in four boys are sexually abused in athletics.”

This spring she made a research trip to the southern border, and says, “There’s a lot of this story that’s not being told.”

“I stayed in a shelter on the US side and then on the Mexico side. I stayed with families who are at a shelter with their whole entire family. They leave their home because of the cartels trying to exploit them. The cartels tell them, ‘You have to pay us this money by tomorrow or we are going to kill you and your family.’ So they literally have to flee and stay at the shelter,” she said. “It breaks your heart.”

There’s just three months to go to pull off an Obama-like emergence and upset.

“I almost beat him in Delaware County (against Jordan in 2022). He only beat me by 6,000 votes in Delaware last time. And no one knew who I was,” she says. “I am going to meet as many people as possible, and I want to let them know they deserve better.”