WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jim Jordan lost 20 Republican votes Tuesday in his first round of balloting for House speaker, creating an uphill climb to win the gavel.
The House plans to return for a second vote at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
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House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is calling on Republicans to work with Democrats to elect a speaker.
Jeffries said Tuesday evening after Jim Jordan lost the speaker’s vote that it’s fine if the next speaker is a Republican. But he made clear that Democrats would want rule changes that would allow them to advance legislation that has bipartisan support.
Jeffries described Jordan as “the poster child for MAGA extremism” and said he was a “clear and present danger to our democracy.”
The Democrat said informal conversations that had been going on for the last few days could begin in earnest now that it’s become clear Jordan does not have the votes to be speaker.
Republicans plan to return for a second round of voting at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The House adjourned Tuesday evening after Jordan failed to garner enough Republican support to clinch the gavel in the first ballot for House speaker.
He said the House will return for a second vote at 11 a.m. Wednesday as he and his supporters work to persuade the remaining holdouts to flip in his favor.
Twenty Republicans voted for alternatives to Jordan on Tuesday, and he must pick up most of those to reach the 217 majority threshold.
Jordan said he won’t work with Democrats to elect a speaker and will go “as many rounds as it takes.”
After being rejected on the first ballot for House speaker, Jordan said he was “not really” surprised at the tally and expected to do better in the next round, possibly later Tuesday.
In all, 212 Democrats voted unanimously for their House leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, while 200 Republicans voted for Jordan and 20 for someone else. Jordan must pick up most of the GOP holdouts to reach the 217 majority threshold.
“We feel confident,” he said, ducking into a leadership office. “We’ve already talked to some members who are going to vote with us on the second ballot.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says it appears Jordan underestimated the number of opponents he had.
The California Democrat was the first female speaker of the House and was known for her ability to coalesce her members behind her. She famously never took a vote to the floor without knowing what the outcome would be.
The several times she ran for speaker, she faced a number of detractors in a closed-door conference vote but was able to clinch the gavel each time her nomination came to the floor vote.
Pelosi told reporters after Jordan lost the first round of voting that Republicans were “taking lessons on mathematics and how to count.”
A congressman who has opposed Jordan’s quest for speakership from the start says the conference made a decision in January in backing Kevin McCarthy and should stick to it.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida was among 20 Republicans who voted for alternatives to Jordan in Tuesday’s House speaker vote, dooming his bid on the first round of balloting. Gimenez cast his vote for McCarthy, who was ousted from the job two weeks ago.
Gimenez said, “We should go back to what we had.” He asked, “Why would we change our horse in midstride?
He added, “I’m not going to be a part of a coup.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and Jordan ally who has resisted party leadership in the past, said the holdouts on the House speaker vote would now be put through a “meat grinder” of pressure.
He predicted they would cave and support Jordan by the end of the week after pressure from conservative voters who are being told to call member offices and close friends.
“I don’t think any of these 20 have the stomach for forcing that vote over and over,” Massie said.
That strategy has the potential to backfire.
Leading up to the vote, some Republicans were resentful of the pressure put on them by Jordan’s allies and complained they were being threatened with primary opponents if they didn’t support him as speaker.
McCarthy says he does not expected another vote on House speaker right away.
The House went into recess shortly Tuesday afternoon after Jordan lost the first round of voting to become the chamber’s leader.
McCarthy said the Republican conference would regroup and talk to the members who have “differences of opinion” on who the next House speaker should be.
He noted that Jordan’s first round of balloting looked similar to his. McCarthy lost 19 votes back in January in his first election for speaker. Jordan lost 20.
Jordan has come up short in the first round of voting for House speaker.
The Ohio congressman did even worse than Kevin McCarthy did on the first balloting of his election back in January.
Jordan lost 20 Republican votes, well more than the three he could spare to win the speaker’s gavel.
More rounds of voting are expected as Jordan works to shore up support to replace McCarthy for the job and the leader of the GOP’s hard-right flank moves to take a central seat of U.S. power. But it’s unclear when the next vote will take place.
The Jordan holdouts are a mix of pragmatists, ranging from seasoned legislators and committee chairs worried about governing to newer lawmakers from districts where their voters back home prefer President Joe Biden to former President Donald Trump.
Jordan appears to be talking to some Republicans about switching their vote after he came up short on the first round.
Twenty Republicans have voted against Jordan, an outcome way worse than his allies were hoping for.
For his part, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is smiling and joking with colleagues as he no longer bears the weight of cajoling them to unite. He had earlier predicted that Jordan would clinch the gavel on the first round.
The vote hasn’t yet closed, and members can still change their ballots.
Republicans gave Rep. Steve Scalise a standing ovation after he cast his vote for Jordan for speaker.
Scalise was first nominated to the speakership last week before withdrawing his name when it became clear he would come up short.
But Scalise’s support was likely cold comfort to Jordan, who is on the brink of losing the first round unless votes change before the end.
Fifteen Republicans have so far voted against Jordan. He could afford to lose no more than three votes and still win the speaker’s gavel.
A dozen Republicans have now voted against Jordan for House speaker.
They have instead backed Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Steve Scalise, former Rep. Lee Zeldin or others. All the Democrats have voted for their leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
The voting continues.
The votes against Jordan for House speaker are looking to be more than his allies were expecting.
Jordan has so far lost nine GOP votes, well more than the three he could spare.
For now, it denies Jordan the speaker’s gavel, but votes can still be changed while the roll is being called.
Jordan has now lost well over the three GOP votes he could spare in his quest to become House speaker.
For now, it denies Jordan the speaker’s gavel, but votes can still be changed while the roll is being called.
Reps. Don Bacon, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Anthony D’Esposito, Mario Diaz-Balart and Jake Ellzey are among the Republicans who have voted against Jordan.
Loud murmurs arose after each of the votes for an alternative speaker, and were especially loud after Diaz-Balart cast a potentially decisive fourth vote against Jordan.
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon is now the second Republican to vote for McCarthy.
With one Republican absent Tuesday, Jordan cannot afford to lose more than three GOP votes.
She joined Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who was the first GOP lawmaker to vote for McCarthy.
One key holdout, Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., did not appear to be in the chamber when his name was called.
Buck has held out against supporting Jordan. He has said he wants Jordan to clearly state that Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election. He can still cast a vote at the end of the roll call.
The roll call vote is underway.
With one Republican absent Tuesday, Jordan cannot afford to lose more than three GOP votes.
Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska voted for Kevin McCarthy, the first Republican to break from Jordan. Murmurs rose after he voted.
Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar is nominating Hakeem Jeffries as House speaker.
In his remarks before Tuesday’s vote, Aguilar pointedly called Jordan, the Republican pick for speaker, an “insurrection insider.”
The No. 3-ranked Democrat pointed to Jordan’s role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the fact that he has yet to pass a bill into law in his 16 years in office.
The chamber was lively during Aguilar’s speech. He ticked through Jordan’s record to note how he had consistently voted against government aid. The Democratic half of the chamber chanted, “He said no!” along with Aguilar.
A reference to Jordan’s wrestling career during Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nominating speech received an audible gasp and groan from Democrats across the aisle.
Stefanik said ahead of Tuesday’s vote: “Whether on the wrestling mat or in the committee room, Jim Jordan is strategic, scrappy, tough and principled.
Jordan has denied allegations from former wrestlers during his time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University who accused him of knowing about claims they were inappropriately groped by an Ohio doctor. Jordan has said he was never aware of any abuse.
One of Trump’s most fervent supporters in the House is nominating Jordan for House speaker.
“Our colleague Jim Jordan is a patriot,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. “Jim is the voice of the American people who have been left voiceless far too long.”
Democrats are openly scoffing and jeering at certain points during Stefanik’s speech.
Arriving to the vote Tuesday, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters that he believes Jordan can clinch the gavel on the first ballot.
McCarthy had been helping Jordan’s lobbying efforts over the last week. The two men became close in recent years, and Jordan proved to be instrumental in the California Republican’s becoming speaker in January.
Jordan typically skips a suit jacket, but he was donning one Tuesday as his colleagues prepared to vote on whether to elect him House speaker.
The Ohio Republican’s garb was a notable departure from his usual style as he shook hands with GOP lawmakers on the House floor.
Ahead of the election, he appeared to be short of the Republican votes needed to win the gavel, but he has sounded confident that he can pressure the holdouts to eventually vote for him.
Members of the House are getting settled in for what is expected to be multiple rounds of votes for speaker.
A handful of Republicans are still opposed to Jordan, but his allies think they will break from their opposition as they go through multiple rounds and come under intense pressure to elect a speaker.
The House chaplain, Margaret Kibben, gave an opening prayer alluding to the upcoming vote. “On this day of choice, give us the vision to see how you have picked each one,” she said. “Out of many may one emerge.”
Rep. Patrick McHenry is presiding over the chamber. He was abruptly appointed as speaker pro tempore last week following the unprecedented ouster of Kevin McCarthy from the top spot.
The House is gaveling into session at noon and beginning with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Then work will get underway on a House speakership vote.
To seize the gavel, Jordan will need almost the full majority of his colleagues behind him in a House floor vote, as Democrats are certain to back their own nominee, Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
With the House Republican majority narrowly held at 221-212, he can only afford to lose a few votes to reach the 217 majority threshold, if there are no absences. While eight hard-right ousted McCarthy, the holdouts this time range from seasoned legislators worried about governing, to newer lawmakers from swing districts whose voters prefer Biden to Trump.
