Ohio Representative Rep. Jim Jordan, the GOP candidate for Speaker, fell short of securing the required votes to claim the gavel in the initial round of balloting on the House floor.
A total of 20 Republicans opted not to back Jordan, leaving him significantly below the majority needed from the entire House to assume the role of Speaker. The final count revealed 200 votes for Jordan, 212 for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), seven for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), six for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and seven for other candidates.
The following 20 House Republicans voted against Jordan, expressing varying preferences for alternative candidates.
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) voted for Scalise.
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) voted for McCarthy.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) voted for Zeldin.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) voted for McCarthy.
Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) voted for Scalise.
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) voted for Scalise.
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) voted for Scalise.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) voted for Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)
Rep. John James (R-Mich.) voted for Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) voted for McCarthy.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) voted for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) voted for McCarthy.
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) voted for McCarthy.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.) voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.).
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) voted for Scalise.
Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas) voted for Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.).
Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) voted for Zeldin.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) voted for McCarthy.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) voted for Scalise.
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) voted for Scalise.
The 20 defections were more than initially expected, as six GOP lawmakers had publicly indicated their lack of support for Jordan before the vote: Bacon, Kelly, Gimenez, Lawler, Diaz-Balart, and Buck.
Chavez-DeRemer expressed frustration with the party’s division and highlighted McCarthy’s broader support. She avoided specifying what would change her stance on Jordan, committing instead to finding a “consensus candidate” within the Republican Conference.
LaMalfa, while intending to support Jordan in the second ballot, initially voted for McCarthy as a show of support for their friendship and McCarthy’s past leadership.
Diaz-Balart, on the other hand, remained steadfast in withholding support for Jordan, citing a solid existing relationship but maintaining his current position.
