In the race to become the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Jim Jordan encountered hurdles on Tuesday as he failed to garner enough support from fellow Republicans in the initial round of voting.
Out of a total of 432 votes cast, Jordan received 200, while other candidates secured 232 votes. It is important to note that there are currently 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats in the House, with two vacancies. One Republican lawmaker, Rep. Gus Bilarakis from Florida and a staunch supporter of Jordan, was unable to participate in the first ballot as he was attending a funeral.
As an ally of former President Donald Trump, Jordan’s nomination was confirmed by his party on Friday. However, in order to secure the position of speaker, he needs at least 217 votes in his favor. Since no Democrats are expected to support him, he can only afford to have four fellow Republicans vote against him.
In the first ballot, all 212 Democrats voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from New York, while 20 Republican votes were divided among various candidates.
A critical factor to watch out for is whether support for Jordan declines in a second round of voting, according to Matt Glassman, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute. While Jordan could tolerate losing in the first ballot, any increase in the number of Republicans opposing him in subsequent ballots would pose a threat to his chances. Glassman explained his insight on this matter in a pre-voting post on X, stating, “If the deadlock remains stable, he has time.”
It’s worth noting that Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced a tough battle earlier this year, requiring 15 rounds of voting to secure the position.
Meanwhile, U.S. stocks (SPX, DJIA, COMP) experienced uncertain trading on Tuesday as investors assessed geopolitical risks, took note of positive earnings from major banks, and observed better-than-expected retail sales.
