On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for a second time to reject the Republican Party nominee, House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), for Speaker of the House. Jordan again failed to get the 217 votes necessary to be elected.
Jordan Both was still well short of the 217 needed to get the position and actually did worse on the second ballot than he did on the first.
Jordan has vowed to run on a third ballot on Thursday.
The House Republican Caucus has been bitterly split since Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) led a group of eight disgruntled Republicans that voted with Democrats to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California).
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) defeated Jordan to become the conference’s first choice, but he withdrew last week when conservatives refused to support him in the House floor vote.
It is now GOP centrists and moderates that are opposing Jordan after the far right of the Caucus toppled McCarthy and blocked Scalice.
Jordan was the Founding Chairman of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus.
Jordan defeated Austin Scott (R-Georgia) for the GOP nomination in a meeting of the GOP conference Friday after Scalise’s withdrawal.
Some members have talked about voting to give the interim Speaker more powers so that the House can continue to function, while the GOP Congress members continue their leadership struggle. Meanwhile, the federal government is racing towards a partial shutdown if Congress does not pass a budget or at least another continuing resolution (C.R.) by November 14.
On both of the House floor votes, Jordan had the support of all six Republican congressmen from Alabama. However, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL03) was an outspoken opponent of Jordan becoming the Republican nominee.
If Jordan cannot sway 217 GOP congress members to support his candidacy, the Caucus may need to look for a less divisive, more likable candidate to be their nominee. Who that would be, however, at this point, is entirely up in that air.
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