Democrats are looking to flip the script on Republicans by calling on the GOP candidate in an Ohio special election to say whether he would support Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid to become the next House speaker.
For years, Republicans have pressed Democrats on whether they support Rep. Nancy Pelosi as leader of their House caucus and have done so in the special election race in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, where Republican Troy Balderson has tried to link Democrat Danny O’Connor to Mrs. Pelosi.
Democrats see an opportunity to turn the tables now that Mr. Jordan is campaigning to replace retiring House Speaker Paul D. Ryan amid reports that he ignored accusations of others’ sexual misconduct as a wrestling coach at Ohio State University.
The progressive research group American Bridge 21st Century released a digital ad Thursday warning that Mr. Balderson “is hiding something from voters.”
“He is refusing to say if he’ll back Jim Jordan for speaker of the House,” the narrator says in the ad, which will run on Facebook through Tuesday’s election.
“Does Troy Balderson stand with the victims or with Jim Jordan?” the narrator asks.
The Balderson campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Other Democratic candidates, including Katie Porter in California’s 45th Congressional District and Liz Watson in Indiana’s 9th Congressional District, have also demanded their GOP rivals take a position on Mr. Jordan’s candidacy.
Conservatives, meanwhile, have rallied behind Mr. Jordan, who has aggressively denied the accusations leveled against him from some of his former wrestlers at Ohio State. More than a dozen former wrestlers, including the Ohio State head coach at the time, also have defended Mr. Jordan.
The special election in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District is tight, despite the district being a longstanding Republican stronghold.
A Monmouth University poll released Wednesday showed Mr. Balderson and Mr. O’Connor are running neck-and-neck in the contest for the remaining months of the term of former Rep. Pat Tiberi, a Republican who resigned in order to lead the Ohio Business Roundtable.
On Saturday, President Trump plans to stump with Mr. Balderson, who narrowly defeated Melanie Leneghan in the Republican primary race.
“Looking forward to being in the Great State of Ohio on Saturday night where I will be campaigning hard for a truly talented future Congressman @Troy_Balderson,” Mr. Trump tweeted.
In the primary, Mr. Jordan endorsed Ms. Leneghan, who has since filed a complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court accusing election officials of voter fraud.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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