Rep. Jim Jordan to pursue third vote to be speaker of the House

Updated October 19, 2023 at 3:36 PM ET

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, says he will move ahead with a plan to hold a third vote in his bid to become speaker of the House, reversing an earlier plan for a lengthy campaign.

Jordan could seek a vote as early as Thursday, but he told reporters he needs to consult with his wife and speak with the 20 members who voted against him on the first ballot this week.

The decision comes after a nearly four-hour, closed-door meeting that was originally intended to focus on a plan to vote on a resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., to bring legislation to the floor until January. Some members had hoped McHenry could oversee votes on spending bills or a short-term funding measure to avoid a government shutdown. Current government funding expires on Nov. 17.

The plan fell apart after conservatives voiced strong opposition.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said the proposal would be "handing our majority back over to the Democrats by going along with a power-sharing agreement."

"It's the biggest FU to Republican voters I've ever seen," Banks told reporters. "That is a historic betrayal to our Republican voters if we go along with it. It's a big mistake."

Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said he was leaning toward opposing the plan.

"We need a speaker," he said. "I do believe there are other folks in the room there that can get 217 [votes]."

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