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Jim Jordan’s Uphill Battle for House Speaker Nomination
Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) became the second House Republican to secure a nomination for the next House Speaker this week, but he had to face a tough battle to win this position.
After hours of meetings and deliberations, Jordan withdrew from the race following a run against Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA). The conference chose Jordan as their newly nominated individual the day after. Jordan was voted Speaker-designate by secret ballot on Friday, with a vote of 124-81, followed by another vote to determine how Jordan would perform in the House. The second vote reduced the margin for Jordan’s opposition to 152-55.
A second round of voting indicated that many Republicans are still reluctant to stand behind the House Judiciary Committee chair. Jordan’s supporters say he is planning to reduce the gap and gain more support by the end of this week, as Ohio needs 217 votes to secure the job – a challenging task.
“I think he has a tough road ahead,” said Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), who voted against Jordan and hinted that he may not support him on the floor. “It’s truly an uphill battle.”
Some Republicans believe Jordan is planning to use a floor vote to pressure the 55 holdouts who initially refused to support him. The Republicans have a narrow majority, and the fact is, Democrats have promised not to assist in electing a new Speaker, so Jordan can only make personnel changes to five members. But as pressure mounts, Jordan could use the floor vote to sway the wavering members and bring them into his fold.
“What’s going to happen is they’re going to vote on the floor, and then they’ll hear at the grassroots level,” said Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN).
While Jordan doesn’t need all 217 confirmed votes to enter the House as a Republican candidate, Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) said that Jordan wants a majority before securing a full vote.
Cammack said, “Jordan has said he wants to make sure he has votes in the House chamber.” “The word is that he wants to have the work done during the week and secure the votes.”
Florida Representative urged Jordan to “work the phones and talk to people” to gather support from any holdouts.
Other Republicans argue that once a nominated individual steps onto the House floor for a full vote, it’s a different ballgame, and Jordan might face difficulties in the conference due to the increased pressure.
Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC) said, “When you come to the floor of the House, it’s different.” “Now it’s Jim Jordan’s time to be Speaker.”
Norman, who is an original supporter of Jordan and has been with him since the Scalise race, encourages Jordan to speak, saying, “His phone is blowing up with supporters.”
Cammack, who shares a similar perspective with Norman, said that activists from all over the country will join the Speaker’s race at the end of this week to show their support for Ohio’s Congress.
Cammack said, “I think we’re definitely heading towards a situation where people from all over the country are getting involved.” “You’re going to call your congressmen, you’re going to encourage them to support Jim Jordan because, at the end of the day, Jim Jordan is a grassroots candidate. He’s someone who truly aligns with the principles of the Republican Party.”