Several Key Republican Holdouts Endorse Rep. Jim Jordan for Speaker

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) speaks to reporters as House Republicans hold a caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington on Oct. 13, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), two Republicans who previously said they would never back Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for the speakership, have endorsed Mr. Jordan for speaker.

On Oct. 13, prior to the closed-door meeting where Republicans nominated Mr. Jordan for the speakership, Mr. Rogers told reporters that there was nothing Mr. Jordan could do to win his vote. Instead, Mr. Rogers said he would be voting for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the ousted former speaker of the House.

Now, in a thread posted to X, Mr. Rogers said he’s changed his mind, and will be backing Mr. Jordan for the top spot in the House.

“[Jim Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days,” Mr. Rogers said. “We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill.

“As a result, I have decided to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House on the floor.”

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mo.) speaks during a meeting of the House Committee on Rules at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on July 12, 2022. Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images

Mr. Rogers added, “Since I was first elected to the House, I have always been a team player and supported what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to. Together, our Republican majority will be stronger to fight Joe Biden’s reckless agenda for America.”

Mr. Calvert echoed the sentiment in another post to X.

“Keeping America safe is my top priority in Congress,” Mr. Calvert said. “After having a conversation with Jim Jordan about how we must get the House back on a path to achieve our national security and appropriations goals, I will be supporting him for Speaker on the floor. Let’s get to work.”

Earlier, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), another former holdout, also announced that he would back Mr. Jordan.

“House Republicans have suffered a total breakdown of party discipline. A majority party is only a majority party when it votes as a majority,” Mr. McClintock wrote on X. “McCarthy should never have been ousted, but now Jim Jordan is the majority’s choice and deserves the vote of every Republican.”

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) has also come out for Mr. Jordan after initial opposition.

“Jim Jordan and I spoke at length again this morning, and he has allayed my concerns about keeping the government open with conservative funding, the need for strong border security, our need for consistent international support in times of war and unrest, as well as the need for stronger protections against the scourge of human trafficking and child exploitation,” Ms. Wagner said in a statement.

“Jim Jordan is our conference nominee, and I will support his nomination for Speaker on the House floor.”

Challenges Remain

These flips represent substantial wins for Mr. Jordan, but he still has a way to go and several opponents to convince in his bid for the speakership.

Mr. Jordan is Republicans’ second nominee for the gavel since Mr. McCarthy’s ouster nearly two weeks ago, when eight Republicans joined all House Democrats to boot Mr. McCarthy from the speaker’s chair.

Earlier, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) was nominated by his party for the position in a 111–99 vote, defeating Mr. Jordan. However, Mr. Scalise was later forced to withdraw his candidacy when it became apparent that he would be unable to secure the necessary support to win the gavel.

U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) announces he is taking his name out of the running for U.S. Speaker of House in Washington on Oct. 12, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Mr. Jordan’s nomination in a 124–81 vote on Friday revealed how deeply-divided House Republicans remain over his bid.

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who announced his bid minutes before the conference and who had done no campaigning, nevertheless garnered the support of roughly 40 percent of Republicans present. Since then, Mr. Scott, as well as several of those who voted for him, have endorsed Mr. Jordan, yielding to the will of the conference.

But several opponents to Mr. Jordan’s bid remain.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who serves alongside Mr. Rogers on the Armed Services Committee, said last week that he would need “to chew on it” when asked about whether he'd support Mr. Jordan.

House Republican Israel Caucus member Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) joins a news conference about the military conflict between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on May 19, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) told The Epoch Times that he would absolutely refuse to support Mr. Jordan, citing conference rules dictating that all members of the GOP Conference must yield to the candidate nominated by the majority for the speakership. Instead, Mr. Rutherford said he would continue to support Mr. Scalise despite his dropping out.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) is calling on Republicans to empower Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) with emergency powers while Republicans continue to deliberate on a speaker, suggesting he’s still not in Mr. Jordan’s camp.

Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) also reiterated on Oct. 16 that he remained opposed to Mr. Jordan.

Other opponents of Mr. Jordan have given no indication that they’ve changed their minds.

Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), and Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) each seem unswayed by Mr. Jordan’s electioneering, with attitudes toward the prospect of a “Speaker Jordan” ranging from skepticism to outright hostility.

To win the gavel, Mr. Jordan can only spare five votes, meaning he'll still need to whip up support among these holdouts to win the speakership.

Nevertheless, despite these challenges, Mr. McCarthy has said that he is confident that Mr. Jordan will be the next speaker of the House.