The movement to pick Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as the new House speaker is heating up, with several prominent Republicans urging him to run for the post.
Axios obtained a copy of a letter sent around by Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, that made the case for Jordan to run for speaker. Current House Speaker Paul Ryan is retiring from Congress at the end of this year.
More than 20 prominent conservatives, including ConservativeHQ.com chairman Richard Viguerie and Tea Party Patriots chairman Jenny Beth Martin, signed the letter.
According to Axios, the letter argues that the current GOP leadership in the House "has utterly failed" and "proven that it's part of the Swamp."
Jordan will receive a copy of the letter, the website reported.
"Our supporters want to see Jim Jordan be the speaker, and they've wanted that for several years," Martin told Axios. "We've also called for Paul Ryan to step down as speaker prior to him announcing he would not run for reelection."
Jordan helped start the House Freedom Caucus in 2015, a conservative group of Republicans, and he was chairman until last year. He has thus far played coy about running for speaker, neither confirming nor denying that he has an interest in running.
A report this week, meanwhile, claimed that Jordan could have the votes to serve as the top Republican in the House if the party loses control of the chamber in the November elections.
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