WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Jordan lost in the first round to potentially become the next Speaker of the House.
The Ohio Republican received 200 votes with 20 Republicans voting against him. Tuesday's vote comes two weeks after the House removed Kevin McCarthy as speaker. It's the second time this Congress that the House has faced multiple rounds of voting for a speaker.
Jordan needed 217 votes to become speaker, as Republicans hold a 221 to 212 majority over the Democrats, with two vacant seats. He indicated he will stay in the speaker's race for as long as it takes for him to meet the threshold, while trying to persuade other members to change their votes.
"Frankly no one, no one, in our conference wants to see any type of coalition government with Democrats, so we're going to keep working and we're going to get to the votes," said Jordan.
Southwest Ohio congressman Warren Davidson expressed optimism in a tweet Tuesday that Jordan would become the next speaker, saying in part, "the House GOP needs to overcome their few remaining differences and elect #SpeakerJordan."
We’ve made significant progress today to elect @Jim_Jordan as Speaker of the House.
— Warren Davidson 🇺🇸 (@WarrenDavidson) October 17, 2023
For the good of our nation and especially #OH08, the @HouseGOP needs to overcome their few remaining differences and elect #SpeakerJordan.
Tomorrow we vote.
Northern Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie received a vote to become speaker from Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Indiana), but said on social media, "I voted for Jim Jordan and I have asked her to vote for Jim Jordan for speaker so we can get the House back to work."
I very much appreciate the vote for Speaker from my great friend @RepSpartz, but I voted for Jim Jordan and I have asked her to vote for Jim Jordan for Speaker so we can get the House back to work! pic.twitter.com/diUomzIxhk
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 17, 2023
In a statement to WCPO, Southwest Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup said, "Clearly there are a lot of people that members feel are capable of leading as Speaker. Traditionally, House Republicans voted in conference and then we supported the nominee on the floor. We live in different times, and I can't predict the future."
Other House Republicans appeared split that Jordan would get the necessary votes.
"I do think that some of the holdouts, this was an initial vote of protest whether it was against Jim Jordan, or more possibly for Steve Scalise, and the people they voted for," said Rep. Mark Alford (R-Texas). "Perhaps maybe a vote against what's been going on in our conference — this disarray, this disunity, if you will, we've got to restore that unity. I firmly believe Jim Jordan is the person to do that."
On CNN, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado) seemed open to the possibility of an interim speaker, or a "30-day speaker." That same notion was also asked of Rep. Greg Landsman.
"We are really desperate for one of them, whether it's McCarthy, or somebody to step up and say, 'Enough's enough, we're not doing this anymore. We have got to work with Democrats, and even if that's temporary, even if that's just through the end of the year, so we can keep the government open and provide that aid that Israel and Ukraine needs,'" the Democrat from Cincinnati said.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) said there are "a whole host of Republicans who are respected on our side of the aisle. Jim Jordan is not one of them."
The next scheduled vote for the next House Speaker is 11 a.m. Wednesday.
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