Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio won an internal vote for House speaker among House Republicans on Friday, although he remains a long way from actually taking the speaker's gavel. This comes only days after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., won an earlier vote only to withdraw earlier this week. According to CNN, Jordan, who currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee, won the nomination by a 124-81 vote over Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, who announced his candidacy at the 11th hour Friday in an apparent effort to block the Ohio congressman. That suggests that 16 of the 221 Republicans in Congress were absent or did not vote.
CNN also reported that Jordan called a subsequent vote by secret ballot asking members whether they would support him on the House floor. That vote was 152-55, making clear that he remains well short of the 217 votes he needs to become speaker. Jordan then sent GOP members home for the weekend, hoping to "use the time to speak with his opponents and try to win them over."
