As the U.S. House of Representatives takes the next step in finding a new speaker, GOP nominee Jim Jordan will not be seeking a third vote, according to the Washington Post.
Jordan, who actually lost Republican support over the course of the first two ballots, became the first majority nominee in 100 years on Wednesday to get less than 200 votes. In 1923, Frederick H. Gillet got 197 votes before eventually securing speakership in the ninth round.
While it seems as if Jordan’s bid for speaker won’t end up like Gillet’s, those close to the situation tell SuperTalk Mississippi News that the most viable option at this point is Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry.
“I talked to a number of members across the country last night, and the consensus is that Jim Jordan will not be the next speaker,” former Mississippi Congressman Gregg Harper said. “The most likely scenario right now would be Patrick McHenry…and that could go one of two ways: That could be just give him additional powers to operate or maybe the make him the permanent speaker.”
McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, stepped into the chamber’s highest position on an interim basis after a group of eight Republicans helped oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
As things currently stand, the House cannot pass any major legislation such as spending bills until a new speaker is voted in or McHenry is granted additional powers. The House is set to convene at 11 a.m. CT with Jordan expected to back McHenry.
