Jim Jordan became the second Republican to become Speaker-designate this week, and looks to be faring as well as Steve Scalise did earlier, unable to get to the 217 votes needed to claim the Speakership. A paralyzed caucus split between ultra-hardliners who favor people like Jim Jordan as House Speaker, and other Republicans who see that as political suicide.
Interestingly, Jordan (who had called for the vote himself, to gauge his support) won against Austin Scott, who wasn't even running but put his name on the ballot minutes before the vote, basically as the Anybody-but-Jim Jordan candidate. Barely getting any more votes than Scalise left the Republicans in a bit of a quandary, so they went home for the weekend to try and figure out their next move.
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Representative Jim Jordan won the Republican nomination to lead the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, but the hardline conservative appeared to be well short of the support he would need to seize the speaker's gavel.
Successive closed-door votes left Jordan with the backing of a majority of House Republicans, but still shy of the 217 votes he would need to win the job.
Republicans then said they would go home for the weekend, ensuring the House would remain without a leader until at least Monday.
Republican infighting has left the House paralyzed for close to two weeks, as lawmakers have deadlocked over a successor to Kevin McCarthy, who was forced out by a small group of Republicans on Oct. 3.
In an initial vote, Jordan won the endorsement over Austin Scott, a Georgia lawmaker who has kept a relatively low profile in his 12 years in Congress. The vote was 124-81, according to a Republican aide who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Jordan did not pick up much more support in a second round of voting, which he won 152-55, according to lawmakers, meaning that about one in four House Republicans cast a ballot purely against Jordan.
Déjà vu all over again.
Elise Stefeanik with her earlier kiss-of-death.
And the numbers that suggest Jim Jordan will never be Speaker.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Rep. Moskowitz with the honors.
