In the initial round of voting for a new House Speaker, House Republicans declined to support House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). A total of 20 members within his conference decided to endorse an alternative candidate to lead the chamber.
The position of House Speaker has remained vacant since the removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his role two weeks ago.
Jordan encountered more dissenting votes than he had anticipated in the lead-up to the initial balloting. By Tuesday morning, at least eight House Republicans had already committed to opposing his candidacy on the House floor. Given the party’s narrow majority in the lower chamber, the Ohio Republican could only afford to lose the support of three fellow Republicans.