Getty Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Jim Jordan is a Republican congressman who has been representing Ohio’s fourth district since 2007 and serves as the Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee.
Jordan has tended to keep his family out of the spotlight despite his own public profile. He and his wife have been married for more than 30 years and have four children together.
Here’s what you need to know about Jordan’s family:
1. Jim Jordan Married His Middle School Sweetheart, Polly, Who Became a Public School Art Teacher
Jordan started dating his wife, Polly Ann Jordan, when she was 14 and he was 13. He told the Washington Examiner that he competed with Polly’s brothers in wrestling. Jordan told the magazine, “I decided it would be a lot more fun wrestling with Polly than her brothers.”
After graduating from Graham High School in 1982, Jordan attended the University of Wisconson. He wrestled at the Big Ten school, winning two NCAA Division 1 championships for his weight class in the 1985 and 1986 seasons. In between those seasons, he and Polly tied the knot.
There are only two posts on Jordan’s public Facebook page that reference his wife. One of them was to mark their 25th wedding anniversary in 2010. Jordan wrote, “My wife Polly and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage today. It seems like just yesterday…So blessed to have her and our four children. Thanks for all of the well wishes!”
FacebookJim Jordan has been married to wife Polly since 1985.
Polly and Jim initially decided to educate their children themselves, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, with Polly handling the home-schooling. She eventually went to work within the Graham Local School District as an art teacher.
TwitterJim Jordan and wife Polly
It’s unclear whether Polly worked full-time or part-time. According to Open Payrolls, she earned under $18,000 in 2009. Her husband’s financial disclosure report for 2017 also lists her salary as $2,900 at Graham Local, suggesting she was a substitute teacher by that point.
A Graham Local Board of Education document from May 2017 further supports that Polly was working as a substitute teacher that year. Her name was listed under “Non-renewals for the 2017-2018 school year of 2016-17 Contracts.” (Polly’s name is on page four). The subheader was “Certified Personnel – One-Year Limited Substitute Teaching Contracts.”
Polly may have formally retired from teaching in 2017 as well. In Ohio, teachers can be eligible for retirement benefits at age 55. Polly turned 55 in 2018.
2. Younger Daughter Jessie Was a Collegiate Golfer & Her Husband Is a Professional Basketball Player
University of Iowa Rep. Jim Jordan’s daughter, Jessie Uthoff
Like most of her family members, younger daughter Jessie Jordan, who was born in 1992, was a high school and collegiate athlete. Her sport of choice was golf.
During her senior year of high school, Jessie placed sixth at the Division II Ohio State High School Golf Championship. She was named the Southwestern Ohio Player of the Year in 2010 and was ranked 14th in the 2009-10 Ohio’s Golf Junior Girls Rankings. According to her college profile, Jessie was also named as Graham Local High School’s team MVP four times.
Jessie initially attended the University of Wisconsin and joined the golf team. She was red-shirted as a freshman and did not see any action during her sophomore or junior seasons either. Jessie decided to transfer to the University of Iowa for her senior season, where she competed in two competitions as an individual.
Getty Jarrod Uthoff #7 Washington Wizards shoots over Vincent Poirier #77 Boston Celtics at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 13, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Jessie met her now-husband, Jarrod Uthoff, when they were both students at Wisconsin. A basketball player, he transferred to Iowa one year before she did. Uthoff went pro after college and in July 2020, he was signed to the Washington Wizards. Jessie and Jarrod got married in July 2016.
According to Hawk Central, Jessie was working as a regional field director for the Republican National Committee during 2016. But as of this writing, it was not clear whether Jessie was still working in politics.
3. Ben Jordan Was a Three-Time State Champion Wrestler in High School
Ben Jordan was born in June 1989 and was Jim and Polly’s second child. He followed in his father’s footsteps and excelled at wrestling. As a high schooler, he won three state championships and was crowned team MVP three times. His overall record during high school was 162-18 and he was ranked #4 at 145 pounds in the InterMat Final All-Class High School Rankings during the 2007-2008 school year.
Ben went on to the University of Wisconsin and was one of four true freshmen to compete that season. During his senior season, he ranked as high as #8 in the nation in the 165-pound weight class. He finished in seventh place at the NCAA Championships in 2012 and earned All-American honors as well.
Ben stayed on at Wisconsin for at least another year after graduating. He worked as an assistant coach and even helped to coach younger brother Isaac, who also joined the Badger wrestling team.
Ben relocated to Chagrin Falls in northeastern Ohio after getting married. He and wife Kelly Whitley tied the knot in June 2018, according to a wedding registry on The Knot. Whitley is from Geneva, Illinois, according to her Facebook page, and also attended the University of Wisconsin. The couple has one daughter together.
4. Isaac Jordan Coaches Wrestling at Indiana University
Indiana University Isaac Jordan, Rep. Jim Jordan’s youngest son
Isaac Jordan was also a standout wrestling star in both high school and college. Like his older brother, Isaac clinched three state championships and finished his high school career with a 154-9 record. He was undefeated during his senior season.
At the University of Wisconsin, he racked up an impressive 115-17 record over four seasons and was a two-time Big Ten Champion. During his senior season in 2016-2017, Isaac finished in fourth place at both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships. He was also a four-time All-American honoree.
Isaac became a coach after graduating from college. He joined the coaching staff at Indiana University in 2018 as an assistant coach. Head coach Angel Escobedo said at the time, “When I was looking for an assistant coach, I wanted a high level wrestler with outstanding integrity and character. Isaac brings all those attributes to the program and will be a great mentor for our athletes to look up to.”
According to his Facebook page, Isaac is engaged to fiancee Brooke Bullard, a Purdue University alum.
5. Oldest Daughter Rachel Jordan Is Married to an Army Soldier & They Have Two Children
Polly and Jim Jordan’s first daughter, Rachel, was born in July 1987. Of their four children, she has kept the lowest profile.
A search of online records shows she participated in track as a high school student. According to Athletic.net, Rachel competed in the 4×800 relay race at the Division II State Track & Field Championships when she was a junior at Graham Local High School in 2005.
Rachel’s husband, Chris Salisbury, is in the U.S. Army. Based on pictures from his Facebook page, the couple got married in 2010 and have two children together. The young family appeared to be based in Europe, according to records on Instant Checkmate.
READ NEXT: Matt Gaetz’s Family & Son: 5 Fast Facts