Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) bid for speaker of the House collapsed after House Republicans voted 112-86 in a secret ballot vote to remove the Ohio congressman as their speaker-designee.
Jordan’s removal as the GOP’s nominee for speaker follows three unsuccessful House floor votes for the Ohio lawmaker’s nomination to become House speaker.
25 Republicans ended any aspirations for Jordan to become speaker of the House on the third House floor vote.
Among the 25 Republican holdouts were Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), John Rutherford (R-FL), Ken Buck (R-CO), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Kay Granger (R-TX).
Jordan previously earned 200 votes in the first round of voting that recently took place, slipped to 199 in the second round and then garnered just 194 votes in the third. Unlike House Republicans, Democrats voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as a block for House speaker.
The indecisiveness of Republicans to elect a House speaker follows Rep. Matt Gaetz’s move to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the role. Gaetz was one of eight House Republicans to remove the California congressman from the position.
Prior to Jordan’s removal as speaker-designee, seven of the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy from the speakership signed a letter indicating they would do whatever it took to ensure Jordan became speaker of the House.
“If the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jordan would be willing to ‘vote with the team’ and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective,” the letter reads.
Following Jordan’s removal, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) wrote on X, “Jim Jordan gave it his all. He was the best Speaker candidate to reform Congress’ spending addiction that’s been bankrupting our country. But sadly today the GOP conference met privately and ended his candidacy by a vote of 112 to 86. I would have voted 100 rounds for Jim.”
Jim Jordan gave it his all.
He was the best Speaker candidate to reform Congress’s spending addiction that’s been bankrupting our country.
But sadly today the GOP conference met privately and ended his candidacy by a vote of 112 to 86.
I would have voted 1000 rounds for Jim.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 20, 2023
Reps. Kevin Hern (R-OK), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Mike Johnson (R-LA), Austin Scott (R-GA) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) have thrown their hats in the ring to run for speaker of the House, according to Fox News.
