The totally normal GOP dropped Rep. Jim Jordan as their nominee for House Speaker, naturally. This decision followed Jordan’s failure to secure a majority vote three times in a week, creating legislative chaos and leaving the House without a leader for at least three more days.
During a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference, led by the ghoulish Elise Stefanik, 86 members voted in favor of Jordan staying in the race, with 112 members voting against him, signaling a “lack of support” for his candidacy. This internal turmoil within the GOP proves the party’s leadership and the functioning of the House of Representatives is a side gig to running lousy media campaigns instead of governing.
The decision to drop Jordan came after a series of votes on the House floor, where his support steadily eroded. Jordan received 194 votes in the most recent round (lowest in all history of Speaker votes), down from 200 in the first round and 199 in the second round earlier in the week. The growing number of Republicans voting for alternative candidates added to the GOP drama.
House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House, had initially declined to seek the speakership but was now reportedly considering a run. Additionally, other Republicans, including Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma and Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan, expressed their intentions to enter the race.
Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, tasked with leading the House during this tumultuous period, announced that Republicans would hold another forum for candidates on Monday, aiming for a floor vote on Tuesday morning. The lack of a clear path forward underscores the challenges facing the GOP in the 2024 election, where all these missteps will be replayed as ads for Democratic candidates.
