Ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was voted for by six people precisely two weeks before he was removed from office.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) failed to secure the 217 votes he needed to become speaker of the House on Tuesday when 20 fellow Republicans voted against him in a crucial first-floor vote.
On Tuesday evening, the House will likely have a second vote.
Two hundred people voted for Jordan. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the majority whip of the House of Representatives, withdrew his name from consideration last week after receiving only seven Republican votes.
Lee Zeldin of New York received three votes. Mike Garcia of California, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Tom Cole of Oklahoma, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky received one vote.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was elected minority leader with the support of all 212 Democrats in the House.
Twenty people voted against Jordan, which is more than was predicted.
Ken Buck of Colorado said that he voted for Emmer because “I don’t like Tom Emmer” and that speaker is “the worst job in America.” There is “no way,” according to Buck that he will be voting for Jordan.
Rutherford said he “sort of” likes Rep. McHenry, R-N.C., the current Speaker Tempore, but both Diaz-Balart and Rutherford voted for Scalise in the first round and said they are not likely to modify their votes. And Diaz-Balart does, too.
It’s not just them who back McHenry. To get the House back to work, the holdouts Granger, Womack, Simpson, and Gimenez allegedly demanded that McHenry be elected Pro Tempore. McHenry’s authority as Pro Tem is constrained. On Monday night, Kelly presented the resolution.
After voting for McCarthy in Round 1, Gimenez told reporters, “his tactics didn’t work on me,” and added that he would never vote for Jordan again. It solidified my resolve even further.
That’s four people who will “never” be named Jordan.
James voted for Cole in the first round but has indicated that he is open to voting for Jordan in subsequent rounds and has communicated with Jordan. Although LaMalfa voted for McCarthy in Round 1, he plans to support Jordan in Round 2.
