EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/Reuters
For the second time in 24 hours, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) has failed to win the speakership on the House floor, pushing the right-wing leader’s ambitions to the brink and bringing lawmakers closer to empowering an interim speaker after two weeks of legislative paralysis.
On Wednesday, 22 Republicans went against Jordan, putting his support at 198 votes, well short of the 217 needed to claim the gavel.
Troublingly for Jordan, he won two fewer votes in the second round than he did in the first, when 20 GOP lawmakers cast votes for seven other candidates, none of whom were in the running.