House Speaker Stir-Up

Jordan current GOP nominee after Scalise withdrew name and McCarthy ousted.

(Image c/o Joe Raedle/Getty Images) 

By Drew Paxman
Editorial Designer

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Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio has been nominated by Republicans for the 56th Speaker of the House. The news comes just a day after Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana withdrew his name from voting consideration.

“The House Republican civil war continues to rage on,” remarked minority leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York in a speech he gave with the entire Democratic caucus outside Capitol Hill. “House Republicans have chosen to triple down on the chaos, triple down on the dysfunction, and triple down on the extremism.”

Jeffires is referring to Jordan’s association with the Freedom Caucus, a group Republicans that Jordan helped co-found. Florida representative Matt Gaetz, a member of this caucus, led an effort to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 4. Gaetz showed enthusiasm for the potential 56th Speaker, taking to X: “It’s Jim Jordan Time!”

McCarthy also confirmed his vote to the press. “I would support Jordan.”

Like McCarthy’s own tough path to the speakership back in January–which consisted of 15 contested ballots–Jordan’s own path seems difficult. In the initial secret ballot, only 124 Republicans supported Jordan, 93 votes short of the necessary 217 needed to become speaker. 81 of those votes went to Representative Austin Scott of Georgia.

Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN that he feels electing Jordan to the speakership would be rewarding the “bad behavior” of the eight caucus members who voted out McCarthy.

Former Republican–now Independent–congressman Denver Riggleman feels confident about where Jordan will stand in the coming days. “Jim Jordan’s not going to be Speaker,” he told MSNBC host Ari Melber.

Russell Dye, Jordan’s spokesman, gave a much more optimistic approach. “Jim Jordan is the only person who can unite the conference and get 217 votes to become speaker,” Dye told Fox News.

The House has stopped for the weekend and will resume activities on Monday, Oct. 16.