Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, failed to become House speaker after the chamber’s first round of floor voting. On Tuesday afternoon, 20 Republicans joined every Democrat in voting for someone else.
In fact, House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., received more votes than Jordan, although no candidate received the 217 votes necessary to become speaker.
With the House Republican majority narrowly held at 221-212, Jordan can afford to lose only a few votes to clear the threshold, if there are no further absences.
To seize the gavel, Jordan will need nearly every Republican behind him in a House floor vote, as Democrats look likely to continue voting for Jeffries.
The Republican holdouts are a mix of McCarthy loyalists, Republicans from liberal districts, and colleagues uncomfortable with Jordan’s hardball tactics.
Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Jordan, and Trump’s allies — like Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity — have been trying to persuade the Republican holdouts.
Sure enough, Jordan has swiftly flipped dozens of detractors in a matter of days.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who engineered McCarthy’s ouster by a handful of hard-liners, publicly praised each lawmaker who has flipped to Jordan’s column — and berated those who have not.
“Thank you Rep. Ann Wagner!” Gaetz posted on social media, after Missouri Republican Ann Wagner announced her support.
One by one, others also announced their support.
However, the holdouts quickly surfaced during the roll call. Some holdouts voted for McCarthy, and others backed Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the GOP’s previous nominee for the speakership election.
One holdout, Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, said Jordan’s role in the runup to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and his refusal to admit that Biden, a Democrat, won the 2020 election remained an issue.
“Jim, at some point, if he’s going to lead this conference during the presidential election cycle and particularly in a presidential election year … is going to have to be strong and say Donald Trump didn’t win the election and we need to move forward,” Buck said.
Some Republicans resent being pressured by Jordan’s allies. One anonymous aide told the Associated Press that their office received an email from Hannity’s team pushing Jordan. Meanwhile, Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez, R-Fla., recalled “being threatened” and “being pushed.” Gimenez added, “His tactics certainly didn’t work on me.”
Plus, some of the Republican holdouts represent swing districts uncomfortable with the idea of Jordan’s leadership. For example, Don Bacon represents a district won by Biden. The Nebraska Republican told KETV on Monday, “I don’t think Jim is the best fit for this district If he won fairly, I’d support him. I’m not into an unfair process when 1 out of 10 is playing unfairly and breaking the rules to demand what they’re getting.”
Others are simply upset at the length of this process. Lawmakers voted two weeks ago to fire Kevin McCarthy from his position as House speaker. Since then, the House GOP has watched its control of the chamber descend into public infighting, with House business grinding to a halt.
Jordan himself watched a Monday meeting turn into a venting session of angry Republicans. “We’ve got a few more people to talk to, listen to,” he acknowledged afterward.
Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., began circulating an option to give Rep Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the interim speaker pro-tempore, more authority to lead. Some Democrats also support the effort, but McHenry himself might resist.
On the other side of the aisle, Democratic caucus chairman Rep. Pete Aguilar of California warned that handing the speaker’s gavel to a “vocal election denier” would be “a terrible message” at home and abroad.
Aguilar recited all the times Jordan voted against various Democratic priorities, like abortion access. Democrats chanted, “He said no!”
All in all, Jordan may need multiple rounds of floor voting to win the speakership. After all, McCarthy took 15 rounds to win the speakership in January.
Jordan’s spokesman Russell Dye told the Washington Post to “expect another round of votes today.”
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.