Rep. Jim Jordan couldn’t muster enough votes to be elected speaker on his first try Tuesday, as 20 GOP lawmakers voted for someone other than the Ohio Republican.
But he’s expected to keep going and try to woo holdouts as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., did in January during his epic 15-round, four-day floor battle for the gavel.
Jordan can only lose three votes in the early going, though his slim cushion should get a little bigger when Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., returns as early as Tuesday evening. Prior to the votes, Jordan wouldn’t comment on how long the process might take.
