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Jim Jordan fails to win House speaker vote on first ballot

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Rep. Kevin McCarthy, left, the former speaker, and Rep. Jim Jordan, lower right, the man who wants to replace him, during the first round of voting on Tuesday.Credit...Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times
 

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fell short of the 217 votes needed to become House speaker during the first roll call ballot on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The Jordan team entered the day expecting to need multiple ballots to win the gavel, but they're dealing with a group of resolute GOP defectors.

Driving the news: 200 House Republicans voted for Jordan on the first ballot.

  • But 20 Republicans voted against him, including votes for McCarthy, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Ind.) and House Rules Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.), among others.
  • All Democrats voted for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
  • The 20 Republicans voting against Jordan matched the worst ballot for McCarthy during his speaker election in January.

Zoom in: A group of GOP pragmatists and institutionalists cited concerns over Jordan's ties to former President Trump, Jan. 6, the Freedom Caucus, his fundraising abilities and alleged bullying tactics.

The intrigue: Conservatives have heavily pushed for Jordan — a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus — after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) ousted McCarthy and Scalise dropped out of the race.

  • Jordan won the GOP's internal election in a 124-81 vote on Friday, with a subsequent vote finding 55 members that wouldn't vote for him on the floor.
  • By Monday Jordan managed to significantly whittle down the number of defectors, flipping key critics.
  • McCarthy opted to throw his weight behind Jordan in the race, with some Scalise allies frustrated that he didn't do more to boost Scalise's candidacy.

Author: Editors Desk

Source: Axios

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