Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is back in the race for speaker of the House, the congressman said Friday, and is running against Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), 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 on Friday that he plans to get back into the race after conceding to Scalise earlier in the week.
Scott confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he filed paperwork to become speaker, saying in part that he wants “to lead a House that functions in the best interest of the American people.”
Jordan 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 before the Louisiana representative dropped out because he wanted “to get unified and get this accomplished as soon as possible,” with Jordan adding he now believes he’s the person who can do that now.
Scott, who previously said he would not support Jordan’s candidacy, criticized the ongoing dysfunction within the party Thursday and said, “it makes us look like a bunch of idiots.”
- That’s how many votes Jordan or Scott 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 anyone, including Jordan or Scott, 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 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 to Congress in 2006, Jordan has become known for his partisan investigations and public opposition to many Democratic policies like working to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Recently, he’s spent his time rallying support against the Biden Administration including through an impeachment inquiry.
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)