Representative Jim Jordan secured the Republican nomination to lead the U.S. House of Representatives, but his victory was tempered by a shortfall in the support needed to become the House Speaker.
In a series of closed-door votes, Jordan garnered a majority of House Republican backing but fell short of the 217 votes required for the position.
As a result, Republicans decided to adjourn for the weekend, leaving the House without a leader until at least Monday.
This ongoing Republican infighting has paralyzed the House for nearly two weeks following the resignation of Kevin McCarthy on October 3rd.
In the initial vote, Jordan outpaced his competitor, Austin Scott, a Georgia lawmaker, with a tally of 124-81.
However, in the subsequent round, Jordan managed to secure only 152 votes to Scott’s 55, indicating significant opposition within the Republican Party.
The Republicans hold a narrow 221-212 majority in the House, meaning they can afford to lose only a few votes if Democrats vote against Jordan, as is expected.
Jordan had previously narrowly lost the nomination to Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, who subsequently withdrew his bid due to a lack of party unity.
Some Republicans expressed concerns about deeper divisions within the party, with Representative Dusty Johnson remarking that Republicans have forgotten how to work as a team.
Jim Jordan, known for his vocal presence on the party’s right-wing and close alliance with former President Donald Trump, has been leading an impeachment investigation into Democratic President Joe Biden, a move that Democrats dismiss as baseless.
Critics argue that Jordan’s confrontational style and affiliation with the so-called “chaos caucus” make him an unsuitable candidate for House Speaker.
Democrats criticized the choice, with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries describing Jordan as an extremist extraordinaire.
The absence of a House Speaker comes at a critical time, with global conflicts and a looming government shutdown deadline.
Despite some Republicans seeing Jordan’s confrontational style as an asset in negotiations, the second vote highlighted continued reluctance among members to support him.
The ongoing strife within the Republican Party reflects a broader trend of tension between its moderate and hardline conservative factions, a pattern seen in previous Republican speakers like John Boehner and Paul Ryan, who faced pressure from their party’s right flank during their tenures.