Jim Jordan Loses First Round in Speaker's Vote

If Jim Jordan is to become the new House speaker, it will take multiple ballots. The conservative congressman from Ohio fell short in the first round of voting Tuesday in his bid to replace Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted two weeks ago. To get the necessary 217 votes, Jordan could afford only four nays from within his own party, and more than 20 Republicans voted against him, reports Politico. Six of those votes went to McCarthy and seven went to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, per the Hill. The Democratic nominee for speaker, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, got all 212 Democratic votes.

Jordan has been gradually swaying Republican holdouts over the last few days, but allies predicted he would need multiple ballots in order to win. The House recessed after the voting, and a second round could take place soon. Jordan, 59, is a longtime ally of Donald Trump and a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, made up of the GOP's most conservative members. It took McCarthy 15 rounds of voting when he became speaker. (More Jim Jordan stories.)