Jonathan C. Jordan (born May 26, 1968) is a North Carolina politician and attorney who served as the legislator for the 93rd district of the
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...
from 2011 to 2019. During his first term, Jordan served as the Deputy Majority Whip of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He was elected to office in the 2010 election defeating Cullie Tarleton by fewer than 800 votes. He defeated Tarleton again in 2012 and was reelected in 2014 and 2016, before losing in the 2018 midterm election to Watauga County Democrat Ray Russell, a professor who won with the help of students on the campus of
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...
. Jordan resides in
Ashe County, North Carolina
Ashe County is a county located in the United States state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,577. Its county seat is Jefferson.
History
Historical evidence shows that Ashe County was inhabited by Native Americ ...
and has two children in the public schools. He is an attorney by profession.
Before his election in 2010 Jordan served as the Communications Director for the
North Carolina Republican Party
The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Michael Whatley has been the chair since 2019.
History
Nineteenth century
Although Republicans first nominated a candidate for President o ...
and as the County Attorney for
Stokes County, North Carolina
Stokes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,520. Its county seat is Danbury.
Stokes County is included in the Winston-Salem, N.C., Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...
. He graduated from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
in 1996 with a JD/MPA (
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
/
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...
), from
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
's
Owen Graduate School of Management
The Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management is the graduate business school of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1969, Owen awards six degrees: a standard 2-year Master of Business Administr ...
with an
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
, and
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...
with a BA in Economics and Politics. He has served on the Boards of Directors of the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce, the Ashe County Home Builders Association, the Ashe County Pregnancy Care Center, as well as the Legal Aid of North Carolina Board.
Endorsements
In 2018, Jordan was listed as a Champion of the Family in th
NC Values Coalition Scorecard In 2016, Jordan was endorsed by the State Employee's Employees Political Action Committee (EMPAC) on their legislative endorsement pag
Background
Prior to running for office, Jordan worked for the
John Locke Foundation
The John Locke Foundation (JLF) is a conservative think tank based in North Carolina. The organization was founded in 1990 to work "for truth, for freedom, and for the future of North Carolina." It is named after the philosopher John Locke, who was ...
, a state-based conservative think tank.
North Carolina House of Representatives
Education funding
The 2018 budget Jordan voted for raised teacher pay for the fifth time in 5 years. Jordan voted for the 2017 budget that added $45 million to the Opportunity Scholarship Program, a program that provides educational improvements to low-income students and their families who are not served well by the public schools. He voted for the 2015 budget that provided teachers and all state employees with a one-time bonus of $750. In 2015, NC teacher pay was ranked in the bottom 10 in the nation. He also voted for the 2013 budget, which did not raise teacher pay, cut education spending, and increased class sizes. This bill also included the Opportunity Scholarship Act, which provided money to those students and families whose needs did not fit into the one-size-fits-all government school system.
Medicaid expansion
Jordan voted against expanding Medicaid in 2013.
A study found that opting out of the Medicaid expansion would cost 455 to 1,145 lives per year.
Environment
Jordan voted against a bill that passed the cost of Duke Energy's
coal ash
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when de ...
spill to its ratepayers. He voted for another bill that allowed Duke Energy to avoid coal ash cleanup. Jordan voted against an amendment that would have protected ratepayers from paying to cleanup the coal ash. Frank Holleman, a senior attorney at the left-wing
Southern Environmental Law Center
Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is the largest 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit organization in the Southern region, with more than 80 attorneys and 75 staff members working at the local, state, and federal level to protect the environm ...
said "this coal ash bill is damning proof that the families and communities of North Carolina can't rely on state politicians to protect their drinking water supplies from Duke Energy's coal ash pollution..."
Electoral history
2018
2016
2014
2012
2010
References
External links
NC General Assembly ProfileProject Vote Smart Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Jonathan
Living people
People from Ashe County, North Carolina
Republican Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
University of North Carolina School of Law alumni
1968 births
21st-century American politicians
UNC School of Government alumni