Tracey Tackett, the assistant mayor of Springfield, has launched an independent campaign for Ohio’s 4th Congressional District. The seat is currently represented by Republican Jim Jordan.
Tackett formally announced her candidacy Thursday in a statement shared with Independent Political Report. To qualify for the ballot, her campaign said she must collect 2,836 valid signatures by the May 4 deadline. It added it is aiming for at least 5,000 and said in an email that it has already gathered roughly 1,500.
“Today, the majority of registered voters identify as independents,” Tackett said in the statement. “Yet our system makes it hardest for an independent voice to be heard. I’m choosing to take the hard road because the people in the middle deserve someone willing to work for them from day one — starting with earning their signatures.”
Tackett was elected to the Springfield City Commission in 2023 in a nonpartisan race, defeating a multi-decade incumbent. She was named assistant mayor by her peers earlier this year for a two-year term. Her campaign said that as a city official, she has focused on neighborhood revitalization, public safety, and support for local businesses, and has also been involved with organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the Epilepsy Foundation.
Her congressional platform centers on what she calls “common-sense” priorities, including support for working families and small businesses, expanded access to healthcare, and increased federal resources directed to local governments. She also wants to see more decision-making authority returned to local communities.
“I believe government should work the same way community leadership works — solving problems, not creating division,” Tackett said. “Our district deserves fresh energy, practical solutions, and representation that reflects the real values of Ohio.”
Ohio’s 4th District, which spans much of the north-central and western portion of the state, has been a reliably Republican seat for several decades. Jordan was first elected to represent the district in 2006 and is seeking reelection. A Democratic primary candidate and a second independent candidate have also filed to run.
Tackett said her campaign is focused on voters who feel ignored in national politics, pointing to what she called “political games” in Washington taking priority over everyday concerns in the district, particularly for young people, veterans, and seniors. She said her campaign is “about representation, not party labels.”
“This campaign is about giving a voice to the people who feel overlooked or unheard — those tired of extremes and ready for leadership from the middle,” she said.
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