After a first round of voting Tuesday, the House failed to elect a new speaker as Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, fell short in his bid.
But he's optimistic about the next round.
"We've already talked to some members who are going to vote with us on the second ballot," Jordan said, The Hill reported. "We thought we were doing well, that we were that area or a little more maybe … we feel confident that we are."
Official reports indicated that Tuesday's vote count ended with 200 votes in favor of Jordan. At the same time, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who had secured the backing of the entire Democrat caucus, garnered 212 votes. As reported by The Hill, an additional 20 votes were cast for other members.
Leading up to the vote, Jordan garnered a significant surge in support Monday, securing endorsements from prominent House members who had previously indicated they would not back his candidacy, Reuters reported.
However, the vote revealed a shift in allegiance, with more than a dozen Republicans opting to cast their votes for alternative candidates. Those included former speaker Kevin McCarthy of California and Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who had withdrawn from the speaker race the previous week.
After the earlier vote Tuesday, the House entered recess.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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