Key takeaways:
- Steve Scalise announced he was ending his bid for Speaker of the House after he was unable to secure the 217 votes needed to win the gavel.
- Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio has renewed his bid for the speakership, and is a conservative firebrand and vocal critic of the Democratic majority in the House.
- Scalise withdrew his candidacy in the hopes that a candidate could emerge who could bring the party together.
House Republicans were thrown into disarray on Thursday when Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced he was ending his bid for Speaker of the House. Scalise had been chosen as the party’s nominee in a closed-door vote just two days prior.
Scalise’s decision came after he was unable to secure the 217 votes needed to win the gavel in a vote on the House floor. Moderate Republicans had already said they wouldn’t vote for Scalise’s opponent, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, and the party’s razor-thin majority meant that just five GOP detractors could block Jordan.
In response to Scalise’s announcement, Jordan has renewed his bid for the speakership. Jordan, who leads the House Judiciary Committee, is a conservative firebrand and has been a vocal critic of the Democratic majority in the House.
Scalise said he withdrew his candidacy in the hopes that a candidate could emerge who could bring the party together. It is unclear who will be able to do that, but Jordan’s candidacy is sure to be closely watched in the coming weeks.
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