Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is back in the race for speaker of the House, the congressman said Friday, one day after the GOP nominee for House speaker, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), dropped out of the contest as factions within the Republican party fight over who should succeed an ousted Kevin McCarthy.
Jordan’s re-entry into the race follows Steve Scalise’s abrupt exit on Thursday.
Jordan told reporters at the Capitol Friday that he plans to get back into the race after conceding to Scalise earlier in the week.
The Ohio congressman said he plans to speak with his colleagues in conference but feels “real good about us having the votes.”
Jordan also said that he supported Scalise in the first round of votes for speaker because he wanted “to get unified and get this accomplished as soon as possible,” adding that he believes he’s the person who can do that now.
- That’s how many votes Jordan, or whomever wins the GOP nomination, will need from the entire House of Representatives in order to be elected speaker. With rivaling factions in the party and a slim majority, Republicans could struggle to reach this number without any help from Democrats.
It remains unclear if Jordan could reach the 217 number, though some members have already started pledging their support.
Scalise slimly beat Jordan in the conference vote for speaker earlier this week, 113-99. Before he lost, he had the support of many hard-right firebrands in the House as well as the public endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Despite that, he publicly supported Scalise after Scalise won the nomination. The ongoing drama in the House follows the surprise ousting of former House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a 216-210 vote last week.
Jordan serves as House Judiciary Committee Chair and is an outspoken ally of Trump. Since being elected in 2006, Jordan has become known for his partisan investigations and public opposition to many Democratic policies like working to repeal President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Recently, he’s spent his time rallying support against the Biden administration including through the recent impeachment of the president.
When the House may reconvene for a vote on the speaker. Lawmakers face a number of looming deadlines when it does, while Congress is working against a November 17 deadline to pass a new budget to avoid a government shutdown.
Steve Scalise Abruptly Withdraws From House Speaker Race A Day After GOP Nomination (Forbes)