Republicans Struggle to Select Speaker Nominee

Since the removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker over two weeks ago, the Republican Party, who holds the majority in the House, has been searching for a new speaker. However, so far, they have been unsuccessful in selecting a nominee who can secure enough support to take on the role.

Two nominees have been put forward by the Republicans, but neither have been able to reach the necessary threshold within their own party to guarantee victory. In contrast, all of the Democrats have consistently voted to support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries whenever the question has been put to a vote.

Most recently, Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, lost in a second round of voting which took place on Wednesday. With 22 Republicans voting against him, Jordan had even less support than in the first round. In order to become the speaker, a candidate usually needs to reach the magic number of 218, which is a simple majority of the 435 members in the House. However, due to resignations earlier this year, the threshold is currently 217.

This year, two House seats, previously held by David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island who resigned in June, and Chris Stewart, a Republican from Utah who resigned in September, will be filled by special elections in November. The fact that the seats are currently vacant means that it takes one vote less to reach a majority, assuming all 433 lawmakers are present and voting for a candidate.

Currently, Republicans hold 221 seats in the House, while Democrats have 212. The slim majority of just 9 seats allows the GOP to lose only four votes from their side on any measure if Democrats are united against it.

Within the Republican conference, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Jordan ran against each other to be the GOP speaker nominee. Scalise was the first Republican selected by his party, but when he could not secure enough support from Jordan’s followers, he dropped out of the race. Jordan, on the other hand, had even less support, with 55 Republicans opposing his candidacy in a secret ballot last Friday.

Over the weekend, Jordan worked to change the minds of those who opposed his candidacy, and by Monday evening, he had won seven new endorsements. He and his allies were confident that he would win the speakership when the House met on Tuesday. Jordan even suggested to reporters that he might win on the first ballot. However, his optimism did not pan out.

On Tuesday, Jordan received only 200 votes, and by Wednesday, his support further decreased to 199 Republicans. This was well short of the 217 votes needed to secure victory. While it is possible to become the speaker without hitting 217 in this Congress, a candidate would have to convince some of those in opposition to change their votes from “no” to “present.” Measures are passed in the House with a majority of those who cast a vote.

In previous instances, such as the January speakership vote for Kevin McCarthy, he won with a vote of 216-212. This was possible due to convincing enough of his GOP colleagues who had initially voted against him to support his bid. In that vote, the remaining six Republicans who withheld their support for McCarthy voted “present.”

In a similar situation in 2021, Rep. Nancy Pelosi also won her final speakership with 216 votes, despite a small majority. Five Democrats either voted for someone else or voted “present,” while all Republicans voted for McCarthy.

The struggle to select a new speaker continues as Republicans search for a candidate who can unite their party and secure the necessary support for victory. Time will tell who will ultimately fill this crucial role within the House of Representatives.

(Source: CBS News)