Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan - Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Republican Jim Jordan fell short on Tuesday in a vote to serve as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, but more votes were expected to follow that could wear down his opponents.
The Ohio lawmaker and ally of former President Trump won 200 votes, short of the 217 needed to win the job, as 20 of his fellow Republicans voted against him. All 212 Democrats voted for their leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
It is not clear how many of those Republican opponents would hold firm in subsequent votes.
If he prevails, the Ohio lawmaker who has spent years fighting with leaders of his party could end up in one of the most powerful jobs in Washington, putting him second in line for the presidency.
Republicans who control the chamber nominated Jordan as a replacement for Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker by a small group of his fellow Republicans on Oct. 3.
“He is a patriot, an America First warrior who wins the toughest of fights,” Republican Representative Elise Stefanik said as she nominated Jordan for speaker on the House floor.
But six Republicans voted instead for McCarthy and another seven voted for Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican whose own bid for speaker fell apart last week. Three Republicans voted for Lee Zeldin, who retired from Congress in January, and Republican Representatives Tom Cole, Tom Emmer, and Thomas Massie got one vote each.
McCarthy and Scalise both voted for Jordan.
Republican party leadership disagreements has left the House unable to address concerns such as support for Israel and Ukraine and funding for the U.S. government.
Jordan, a founder of the House Freedom Caucus, has for much of his career been seen as a strong force on Capitol Hill, tangling with Republicans and Democrats alike. Nevertheless, he won the Republican nomination for speaker last Friday and has been consolidating support from former opponents in the party.
Republicans control the House by a narrow 221-212 margin, giving them little room for error on votes like this one.
Jordan will work to earn the votes of Republican holdouts to fall in line with subsequent votes.
McCarthy never got less than 200 votes in 15 rounds over four days in January.
New Republican challengers could emerge if Jordan does not pick up support, including Patrick McHenry, who is temporarily filling the speaker’s chair, and No. 3 House Republican Tom Emmer.
Jordan’s supporters say he would be an effective advocate for spending cuts and other Republican priorities in negotiations with Democratic President Joe Biden and the Senate, which is also controlled by Democrats.
Jordan had a more productive relationship with McCarthy, who was forced out by a small group of Republican insurgents.
Republicans nominated Scalise to succeed McCarthy last week, but he abandoned his bid after he was unable to consolidate support – a development that some Republicans blame on Jordan and his supporters.
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