Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) saw the House of Representatives again reject his bid to become speaker on Friday ― this time by the biggest margin yet, after some of his fellow Republicans said they’d received threats after voting against him in earlier rounds.
Jordan garnered only 194 votes from House Republicans, down from 200 in his first attempt and 199 in his second vote Wednesday. All of those are well short of the 217 needed to win when all representatives vote.
Jordan showed no signs he was withdrawing soon, telling HuffPost after the vote he was going to “keep talking, listening to colleagues, going to conference.”
Several House Republicans have complained that their offices have been inundated with calls from Jordan supporters as part of a pressure campaign on his behalf. Some who have voted against Jordan say they or their families have been subject to outright threats.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said his wife slept with a gun beside her bed one night in response to threats made since Bacon became one of Jordan’s most prominent opponents.
Jordan denied blame for the incidents.
“I’ve done everything I can. I’ve put out statements. I’ve said this is wrong,” he said.
But the incidents have clearly taken a toll on his votes.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), who voted for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in Friday’s balloting, said the votes against Jordan were likely to grow.
“Twenty-two are really solid. We picked up another three,” he said. “I think more people are going to come around and say, ‘You’ve had your chance, let’s go, let’s move on.’”
“Some people are getting threats against their wives and children and all that. It’s getting very offensive,” Gimenez said. “It used to be that I was voting for McCarthy. Now I’m not voting for Jim Jordan.”
The House has been without a speaker since Oct. 3, when eight Republicans joined with House Democrats to oust McCarthy from the post.
Since then, Republicans have considered trying to reinstall McCarthy; nominated Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), only to see him withdraw; and put forward Jordan, who appeared undaunted Friday morning at the prospect of calling for votes again and again until he won.
“Look, there’s been multiple rounds of votes for speaker before. We all know that,” Jordan said at a press conference Friday morning. “I just know that we need to get a speaker as soon as possible so we can get to work for the American people.”
Members of the group of eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy said they were willing to be sanctioned by the House Republican conference if it meant Jordan would win enough votes to become speaker.
“If what people need is to see the eight of us rapped on the knuckles in order to get on to the business of governing, what we’re saying is we’re open-minded to that,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the effort to topple McCarthy.
Gimenez was not moved by the offer, saying the group’s goal was to install Jordan all along and taking them up on it would reward their efforts.
“I’m a parent, I’m a grandparent. I know that much: you don’t reward bad behavior,” he said.