With only 200 votes out of the 217 needed to secure a victory, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, lost his first attempt to be elected speaker of the House of Representatives Tuesday in an electoral battle defined by the same GOP in-fighting that led to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster two weeks earlier. The failure came despite a right-wing pressure campaign to garner the support of other Republicans who opposed him, The New York Times reports.
Twenty Republicans, including powerful members of the House like Appropriations Committee Chairman Kay Granger, R-Texas, and several GOP representatives from politically competitive districts, instead cast their vote for others. Rep. Steve Scalise, La., who the party initially nominated for the role last week, was the number two pick among conservative members of Congress, winning seven total votes, while McCarthy won six. Democrats remained united and steadfast in favor of their nominee, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who earned all 212 of the party's votes.
