- House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan are securing the endorsements of House GOP members ahead of Wednesday’s speaker election.
- Jordan and Scalise must garner 218 House votes to secure the gavel, and many Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have backed the Ohio congressman, while others like House Majority Whip Tom Emmer are supporting Scalise.
- “Chairman Jordan is the only candidate who can unite the party and get the votes to be Speaker,” Russell Dye, spokesperson for Jordan, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio are racking up endorsements from GOP members as they vie for the speakership following Kevin McCarthy’s ousting.
Scalise and Jordan are the only two House Republicans who have entered the race for speaker, with House Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern of Oklahoma deciding against a run on Saturday. Ahead of Tuesday’s candidate forum and Wednesday’s speaker election, many Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have backed Jordan, while others, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, are supporting Scalise.
“Jim Jordan is an honest man, true to his word and his values. He’s also a workhorse. He will put people ahead of petty Washington politics. He has my full support to be the next Speaker of the House,” South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, one of the eight Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy, wrote on Twitter Sunday.
Along with Mace, GOP Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Chip Roy of Texas, Darrell Issa of California, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Mary Miller of Illinois, Mike Turner of Ohio, Mike Carey of Ohio, Mark Green of Tennessee, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Byron Donalds of Florida, Troy Balderson of Ohio, Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, Max Miller of Ohio, Russell Fry of South Carolina, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Ronny Jackson of Texas have endorsed Jordan.
“Chairman Jordan is the only candidate who can unite the party and get the votes to be Speaker,” Russell Dye, spokesperson for Jordan, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Jordan and Scalise must garner support from a majority of the House, or 218 votes, to become speaker. (RELATED: Fox News Cancels Speaker Of The House Debate After Candidates Pull Out)
Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales became one of the first to throw support behind Scalise for speaker, just hours after McCarthy was ousted on Tuesday.
“Our Republican Majority was sent to Washington to get work done on behalf of the American people. I believe Rep. Steve Scalise is the right choice to be our new Speaker and guide our Conference through a difficult time,” Rep. Ken Calvert of California wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “Steve is a stalwart conservative, he has demonstrated his ability to lead, and I believe he is the best person for the job.”
Reps. Steve Womack of Arkansas, Andy Barr of Kentucky, Pat Fallon of Texas, Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, John James of Michigan, Lance Gooden of Texas, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, Ashley Hinson of Iowa, Ann Wagner of Missouri, Vern Buchanan of Florida, Buddy Carter of Georgia and Lisa McClain of Michigan are among the House Republicans supporting Scalise for speaker.
“Members from all factions of the Republican conference have pledged their support to Leader Scalise, demonstrating how he is uniquely positioned to unite the conference and get back to work for the American people,” Lauren Fine, spokeswoman for Scalise, told the DCNF.
Reps. Claudia Tenney of New York, Jake Ellzey of Texas, Drew Ferguson of Georgia, Austin Scott of Georgia, Mike Rogers of Alabama, Sam Graves of Missouri, Michael Burgess of Texas, Rob Wittman of Virginia, Burgess Owens of Utah, Julia Letlow of Louisiana, Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, Young Kim of California, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, Debbie Lesko of Arizona and Larry Bucshon of Indiana are also backing Scalise, according to Fine.
Gaetz, who spearheaded the motion to vacate McCarthy, has yet to reveal which candidate he will support for speaker, but spoke highly of both Jordan and Scalise on Sunday.
“And by the way, if we have a Speaker Jim Jordan or a Speaker Steve Scalise at the end of the coming week, there won’t be a single Republican, sans maybe Kevin McCarthy, who doesn’t believe that we have upgraded the position,” Gaetz told NBC News’ Kristen Welker. “This is about ensuring long-term stability financially for our country from a leadership standpoint. And with either Steve Scalise or Jim Jordan, we will undeniably have an upgrade, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry of North Carolina has been serving as speaker pro tempore since the House voted 216 to 210 to oust McCarthy on Tuesday. Following his removal, McCarthy soon announced he would not run for the position again.
Some House Republicans, like New York Rep. Mike Lawler and Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez, are still hopeful that McCarthy will retain his speakership position.
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