Jim Jordan Nominated by House Republicans to Replace Kevin McCarthy as Speaker After Steve Scalise’s Withdrawal

Jim Jordan has been chosen as the new Republican presidential candidate.

On Friday, House Republicans voted to make Jordan their new party leader and nominee for House Speaker, selecting him over challenger Austin Scott of Georgia, according to reports from NBC News and Hill.

The recent vote follows Rep. and Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s withdrawal from the nomination process Thursday night. The election for a new Speaker of the House of Representatives comes after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster on October 3.

Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Win McNamee/Getty Images

Jordan, who currently serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, received 124 votes, while Rep. Scott earned 81 votes, Axios reports. To formally secure the presidency, Jordan needs to get 217 Republicans on his side in Monday’s presidential election.

The final tally was 152 in favor, 55 against and 1 present, according to Rep. French Hill, according to NBC News.

House Republicans have nominated Steve Scalise to replace Kevin McCarthy as speaker

According to NBC News, House representatives were informed “that no votes are expected in the House until approximately 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 16.”

As House Republicans wait to reconvene and vote on Monday, Jordan has been holding meetings with representatives who have dropped out, according to a GOP aide, CNN reports. Additionally, Jordan told CNN reporters, he believes he will receive 217 votes. “I think we’re going to get 217 votes — that’s the fastest way to unite and get to the floor,” the Ohio congressman said.

The Ohio Republican was first elected to Congress in 2006 and represents Ohio’s fourth district. He is also a founding chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Before McCarthy’s tenure, Jordan once challenged McCarthy for the presidency.

Kevin McCarthy caught in the most contested election for Speaker of the House of Representatives since 1859 after losing for the ninth time

After Scalise withdrew — and before Rep. Scott entered the race — the Georgia congressman shared his frustrations with CNN. “We have a very small group of people who have to have everything their way. We had a group that sabotaged Speaker McCarthy, and now we have a group that sabotaged Steve Scalise, they’re both great people,” Scott said.

The Republican Party will continue to vote until a candidate wins a majority. The House of Representatives is urgently working to elect a new Speaker to prevent a threatened government shutdown and continue with the branch’s legislative responsibilities.

Jordan’s newfound lead follows Scalise’s withdrawal from the race after he tried to shore up votes in a closed-door vote Thursday, ultimately losing nearly a dozen supporters, after an initial vote that favored Scalise 113-99 over Jordan.

Rep. Steve Scalise during a news conference at the US Capitol building on June 14, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty

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“This country is counting on us to come back together. This House of Representatives needs a speaker and we need to reopen the House, but obviously not everyone is there and there are still divisions that need to be resolved,” Scalise said after the retreat, CNN reported.

This current race comes 10 days after the House of Representatives held an impeachment vote, removing incumbent President McCarthy from the third-highest government post.

Since the historic ouster and throughout the election, Rep. Patrick McHenry currently serves as interim president pro tem. While Rep. McHenry remains acting chairman, CNN reported that Republican representatives are considering granting additional privileges to McCarthy’s current replacement.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education