Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, lost the first round vote to be House speaker on Tuesday after 20 Republicans joined all Democrats to shoot him down.
Seven Republicans voted for Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who was the previous speaker-designate before being forced to withdraw due to mounting opposition. Six GOP lawmakers voted for ousted ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and three moderate New York Republicans voted for former GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin.
Additional votes were cast for House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
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But it may not be the end of Jordan's bid for the gavel. His allies have signaled that the GOP bomb-thrower is willing to go through multiple rounds of votes to get a majority.
"It might take a few votes, it might not be done on the first on the first ballot, but I think he's okay with that," one GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital after a closed-door House Republican meeting on Monday night.
Jordan was selected to be the House GOP’s candidate for speaker in an anonymous vote last week, but it became immediately clear that it would be an uphill battle to win the support of moderates and other wary establishment Republicans.
Several Republicans who objected to his speakership voted for either ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., or Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.
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The latter had been Republicans’ original speaker-designate after McCarthy’s ouster two weeks ago. But opposition, primarily from Jordan allies who insisted they would vote for the Ohio Republican no matter what, forced him to drop out just a day later.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Jordan would not answer when asked how many rounds of voting he was willing to hold.
"We need to get a speaker as soon as possible," he said instead.
