Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio (center) failed to win enough support to become speaker of the House on the first ballot. Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska (left) and Kay Granger of Texas both opposed him on the first ballot.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Julia Nikhinson/AFP/Getty
House lawmakers took their first vote on who should be speaker since Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win enough support on the first ballot, losing 20 Republicans.
Lawmakers will now have to vote again as no candidate won enough votes.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan on Tuesday failed to win enough votes to become the next Speaker of the House, extending the temporary chaos that has engulfed the chamber since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster.
Jordan, who chairs the powerful House Judiciary Committee, received 200 votes on the first ballot with 20 Republicans voting for other candidates. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes as Democrats united behind him.
Jordan is unlikely to withdraw from the speaker’s race. Some of his allies were predicting before the vote that he would fail to win on the first ballot. Rather, they hope to further pressure the remaining holdouts whose opposition to Jordan is now public record. In comparison, McCarthy also won at least 200 votes during the 15-rounds of voting he endured in January.
Jordan’s hopes were also further dashed after it was reported that Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Florida Republican, would miss the first vote to attend a funeral. With full Democratic attendance and united opposition, Jordan could only afford to have lost three Republican votes.
The current opposition doesn’t come from one monolithic bloc. Of the 18 lawmakers who represent districts President Joe Biden won in 2020, five refused to vote for Jordan. Their opposition alone would be enough to kill Jordan’s chances in future voting if nothing else changes, illustrating the narrow margin needed to win.
Jordan’s current standing shows he has done well among so-called moderates, despite his reputation as a staunch conservative and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. By at least one measure, Jordan would be the most conservative Speaker compared to the average House Republican in recent years. Former President Donald Trump previously endorsed Jordan for the top job.
The Ohio Republican’s roots likely turned off some of his other colleagues. Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, voted against Jordan. Rep. Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican, who chairs an Appropriations subcommittee, also opposed him.
In public statements before the vote, many of the vulnerable Republicans who backed Jordan pointed to a desire to get the House back to functioning after two weeks of drama following McCarthy’s removal. As Insider previously reported, the current interim House leader may have little power compared to a typical speaker. Time is particularly of the essence for some lawmakers who want to support Israel after Hamas’ surprise attack or want to avert a government shutdown next month.
“There’s too much at stake to continue to be stalled. I came to D.C. to work — not sit around,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani, one of the 18 Republicans, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, about his support for Jordan.
Here are the Republicans that voted against Jordan thus far:
Rep Don. Bacon of Nebraska: He voted for McCarthyRep. Ken Buck of Colorado: He voted for House Majority Whip Tom EmmerRep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon: She voted for McCarthyRep. Anthony D’Esposito of New York: He voted for former Congressman Lee ZeldinRep. Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida: He voted for House Majority Leader Steve ScaliseRep. Jake Ellzey of Texas: He voted for Rep. Mike Garcia, a Texas RepublicanRep. Andrew Garbarino of New York: He voted for ZeldinRep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida: He voted for McCarthyRep. Tony Gonzales of Texas: He voted for ScaliseRep. Kay Granger of Texas: She voted for ScaliseRep. John James of Michigan: He voted for Rep. Tom Cole of OklahomaRep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania: He voted for ScaliseRep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia: She voted for McCarthyRep. Nick LaLota of New York: He voted for ZeldinRep. Doug LaMalfa of California: He voted for McCarthyRep. Mike Lawler of New York: He voted for McCarthy Rep. John Rutherford of Florida: He voted for ScaliseRep. Mike Simpson of Idaho: He voted for ScaliseRep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana: She voted for Rep. Thomas Massie of KentuckyRep. Steve Womack of Arkansas: He voted for Scalise
This is a breaking news story. Stay with Insider for more updates.