After Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted as House Speaker, Republicans in the United States House have frantically scrambled to find a replacement.
On October 16, 2023, however, Republicans appeared to consolidate their support around Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as a potential replacement for McCarthy.
At least 132 House Republicans have publicly thrown their support for the Ohio congressman as McCarthy’s successor. There’s reason to believe that the number of elected officials backing Jordan is more than those who manifested their public support for him.
On October 13, Jordan received the conference nomination with 124 votes in his defeat of Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) in an internal party vote that took place behind closed doors. Jordan subsequently won 152 votes on the second ballot when members were asked if they would back him on the House floor.
Ultimately, Jordan needs 217 votes on the House floor to obtain the gavel.
The following House members have gone on record in support of Jordan as House Speaker:
Despite the growing momentum for Jordan, he failed to win a first vote on October 17. He only picked up 200 votes, a vote count that fell short of the 217 needed to assume the position of House Speaker. 20 Republicans voted against Jordan, while 212 Democrats voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“The Speaker vote today will be the ultimate test for center left Republicans. Do they stand with the GOP base or do they join the Democrats to block Jim Jordan? Patriots will not forget this vote,” GOP strategist Cliff Maloney told Big League Politics. “A vote against Jim Jordan is a 100% guarantee that you will be challenged in 2024 by a real conservative.”
Ultimately, a vote for Jim Jordan allows for America First patriots to finally have a path forward towards changing the DC policy agenda. The likes of Kevin McCarthy and his predecessors such as Paul Ryan and John Boehner are part of an establishment cabal of Republicans who only strive to serve the interests of the Chamber of Commerce and the military-industrial complex.