Jim Jordan’s bid for House Speaker edged out amid steep GOP opposition

CNN
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Rep. Jim Jordan’s speakership bid is in jeopardy as the Ohio Republican faces fierce opposition from members of his own party.

Jordan failed to win the speakership in Tuesday’s primary runoff after 20 Republicans voted against his nomination.

The House is scheduled to hold a second speaker vote at 11 a.m. ET Wednesday, a key moment for Jordan’s candidacy that could show whether he loses or gains support.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy had 15 rounds of voting in January. But it’s unclear whether Jordan has a path forward in the race amid deep divisions in the House GOP caucus and the opposition he faces.

Jordan expressed hope Tuesday evening, telling CNN’s Manu Raju that he would “keep going.”

“We are going to continue working. We will get votes,” he said.

Uncertainty over Jordan’s candidacy threatens to prolong the current deadlock in the House. Without a speaker, the chamber is effectively deadlocked, a dangerous situation that could lead to conflict abroad and a government shutdown next month.

The confusion has prompted some Republicans to expand the powers of the interim speaker — a Republican representative. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina — Such a move would move the chamber into uncharted territory.

One in 20 voters who voted against Jordan in the first round said they would support the Ohio Republican in the next vote, but many Republicans indicated they would not be swayed, leaving Jordan’s fate up in the air.

Jordan is a polarizing figure in the speaker’s race, a complicating factor in his bid to lock down votes. He is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, has a longstanding reputation as a conservative rebel and helped found the hardline House Freedom Caucus. As chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, he has also been a key figure in House GOP-led investigations.

Opponents of his speaker’s bid so far have been centrist Republicans worried about the face of the House GOP as a conservative hardliner and lawmakers still angry at the small group of Republicans who forced McCarthy out and opposed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s bid. Giving.

Scalise initially defeated Jordan at the GOP convention to become the speaker candidate, but later dropped out of the race amid opposition to his candidacy.