Jordan Reinvigorates After Round One Setback; House Speaker Vote vs Wednesday

Nine days after suffering an embarrassing first round loss in the vote for House Speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) remains adamant he won’t drop out of the race as the House Republican Conference readies for another round of voting Wednesday. Jordan’s campaign has been ringing the bell hard and loud on the five-term congressman’s nonpartisan values, while also pointing to his strong support for the Trump agenda and unwavering commitment to conservative principles. Jordan’s team has taken a page out of President Donald Trump’s playbook, saying House GOP leadership should look to bring about change instead of continuing with the same “establishment” approach. At least publicly Jordan is staying the course, with his campaign noting they’re still “one vote shy” of winning the Speakership and that they still expect to make it there on the fourth ballot Wednesday. However, despite garnering 121 votes on the first ballot, nearly double the 65 that he needed to qualify for the fourth ballot ballot, Jordan fell short of enshrining his path to the Gavel. Jordan’s main rivals, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) have rallied in support of him staying in the race, but it appears doubtful that the field will thin before the new round of voting Wednesday. McCarthy and Scalise remain the top contenders for the House Speaker’s job, and the 172 Republican Members of Congress will begin to whittle away at the field by the fourth ballot if no one candidate can garner the majority vote. Historically there have been few surprises in a contest for the House Speaker, but the 2020 cycle has brought a new level of competition into the mix with Jordan unexpectedly making waves and convincing plenty of Republicans that he should rightfully earn their vote and help represent their cause in the House. As for what the House Republican Conference ultimately decides Wednesday, only time will tell. All indications point to Jordan continuing his fight right up until the final tally – that is if party members give him another chance.