The race for speaker of the House of Representatives is in the final stretch and has two strong contenders, Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Steve Scalise (R-LA). Both had their chance to speak to their Republican colleagues on Tuesday night and persuade them to vote for them. Since there was no clear favorite, the majority leader and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee tried to gain some advantage in the vote.
Kevin McCarthy became the first House Speaker to be removed in US history. Dissatisfied that the government shutdown had been avoided, Matt Gaetz presented a successful motion to vacate that ended with 216 votes in favor and 210 against. Although 96% of the Republican Conference had tried to keep McCarthy, eight Republicans joined all Democrats to remove him from his leadership position.
They were Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Ken Buck (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Bob Good (R-VA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Matt Rosendale (R-MT) and of course Gaetz.
It is with a strong sense of responsibility and purpose that I seek the House Republican Conference’s nomination for Speaker of the House.
Read my letter to my colleagues: pic.twitter.com/G6YDd2SjCD
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) October 4, 2023
The House will select McCarthy's successor on Wednesday night and the candidates, Scalise and Jordan, had Tuesday to convince their Republican colleagues to vote for them. The first, Scalise, is considered a man close to McCarthy but at the same time is viewed favorably by the conservatives in the House. He was endorsed by big names such as Tom Emmer and Tony González.
The second, Jordan, former president of the House Freedom Caucus, is highly valued by conservatives, while at the same time, he does not scare away the rest of the Republicans. He was the congressman with the most votes after McCarthy in the voting at the beginning of the year and has the endorsements of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
Impressions of the Republican Conference meeting
Scalise was the first to leave the closed-door meeting and took the opportunity to testify in front of reporters. After highlighting that there was a "great forum" to listen to the two main candidates, he indicated that the next speaker must be elected as quickly as possible.
"There are things happening in the world that need to be addressed right now. We have to get back to work. The Senate also needs to work. We're putting a strong coalition together. We're gonna get this done tomorrow, and the House is gonna get back to work," he added.
Jim Jordan is the right leader to unite behind to be the next Speaker of the House.
For too long, the Republican establishment has betrayed their base.
We are in the fight for our lives in this country. It’s time we’re led by a REAL fighter and champion in Congress. pic.twitter.com/KHcFRdh1jC
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 11, 2023
Mike García, Republican of California, left the meeting with a good feeling, saying that both Scalise and Jordan are "two good leaders" with "good perspectives on where the party should go."
For his part, Thomas Massie (R-KY) emphasized that Jordan's attitude during the meeting stood out, as the Ohio native detailed a long-term plan to fund the government. Massie is also not very optimistic about the chances of Republicans reaching an agreement on Wednesday. "I put it at 2%," he stated.
Kevin McCarthy once again ruled himself out of the race, despite having flirted with a new nomination on Monday. At the same time, he did not officially endorse any of the candidates.
Gaetz doesn't know who to vote for
The Florida congressman responsible for this vote is still unsure about his decision. "I'm still undecided. I'm praying about it tonight," he told reporters at the Capitol.
"I enjoyed the discussion with Leader Scalise and Leader Jordan. They answered questions that really mattered to Floridians about offshore oil drilling, about immigration, about our agricultural policies, and about our unique Medicare and Medicaid populations in Florida," he added.
