Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia jumped into the Republican race for speaker on Friday, offering a challenge to Rep. Jim Jordan in the latest twist to the infighting over who gets the gavel.

Mr. Scott got in the race as House Republicans held more closed-door meetings to try to unify around a new speaker after Majority Leader Steve Scalise dropped out of contention suddenly the night before.

“We are in Washington to legislate and I want to lead a House that functions in the best interest of the American people,” Mr. Scott said.

Many GOP lawmakers are expected to back Mr. Jordan of Ohio, a hero to conservatives who now chairs the Judiciary Committee. He placed second to Mr. Scalise of Louisiana in a Wednesday preference vote by the Republican conference. But Mr. Jordan may encounter the same problem that pushed Mr. Scalise out of the race: An inability to get nearly all Republicans to support him on the House floor when he’ll need roughly 217 votes to win the gavel.

A longtime conservative figure in the House, Mr. Scott may attract support from GOP’s right flank who are fed up with the faction of hardline conservatives who refused to back Mr. Scalise and who used their tiny majority to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California one week ago. 

Mr. Scott is the No. 2 Republican on the House Agriculture Committee. 

“He’s from southern Georgia. He’s a big ag guy, and, you know, likes to hunt and shoot,” said Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio.

In Thursday’s conference vote, Mr. Jordan won 99 votes.

“I would expect that to grow,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida Republican. 

• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.

• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.

• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.