Jim Jordan Loses Third Speaker Vote By Even BIGGER Margin
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via AP Images
Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) hopes of becoming the next speaker of the House were dashed yet again on Friday when 25 House Republicans cast their ballot against Jordan during the third vote on his candidacy.
Twenty and 22 Republican holdouts had previously sunk him during votes held on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Jordan emerged as the GOP majority’s nominee for the speakership after 8 rebels in the conference ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) dropped out of the race despite initially being nominated by the conference over Jordan.
A firebrand who made a name for himself as a stalwart defender of former President Donald Trump and his angry interrogations of witnesses during committee hearings, Jordan has no legislative accomplishments to boast about, which has raised eyebrows among some GOP members.
Jordan has also come under fire for his refusal to admit Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, as well as the pressure campaign mounted on skeptics by his supporters, which have included death threats and the harassment of members’ families. The Ohio congressman himself, however, has condemned that pressure campaign, arguing on X that “No American should accost another for their beliefs.”
“We condemn all threats against our colleagues and it is imperative that we come together. Stop. It’s abhorrent,” added Jordan.
Nevertheless, the threats and feeling that Jordan has been foisted on the conference by a loud minority appears to have sunk his chances of securing the speaker’s gavel.
Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman reported that a meeting between Jordan and his opponents on Thursday did not go well.
“A source describes the Jordan meeting with the holdouts like this: A direct, precise meeting in which JORDAN was told he will never be speaker,” said Sherman.
A source describes the Jordan meeting with the holdouts like this: A direct, precise meeting in which JORDAN was told he will never be speaker. This group doesn’t want anything. They want Jordan to understand he will not be speaker.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 20, 2023
“This group doesn’t want anything,” he added. “They want Jordan to understand he will not be speaker.”
