Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan has started campaigning to replace Rep. Darrell Issa as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, The Daily Caller has learned.
Jordan is talking to key leaders in the Republican conference about his bid to take over for Issa, who is stepping down from the chairmanship after the 2014 midterms. Insiders currently describe the race as being wide open.
The chairmanship election will be held after the 2014 midterms in the Republican Steering Committee, which gives the speaker of the House (currently John Boehner, who said that he will run for another term after November) five votes and allocates most of the voting power to Republican House leadership, including Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
While The Hill recently focused on the race between Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Ohio Rep. Mike Turner, both of whom are reportedly trying to portray themselves as being unlike no-nonsense scandal investigator Issa, Jordan is quietly leveraging the goodwill he has earned as the chairman of Oversight’s Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs.
Jordan distinguished himself with fierce and reputable investigation of the IRS scandal, and earned recognition from Democratic members of the subcommittee for running hearings that respect both parties’ right to fair speaking time. Known for chairing hearings without a suit jacket and with rolled-up shirtsleeves, Jordan also highlighted issues at the Export-Import Bank before it became a major national news story, and he worked on the committee’s ongoing Benghazi inquiries.
Jordan has been one of the toughest and most knowledgeable questioners on the Oversight Committee of IRS commissioner John Koskinen:
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