Republican Rep. Jim Jordan called on his party to “unite” around the congressman. Kevin McCarthy failed to secure a majority for the speaker of the House of Representatives in the first round of voting.
Six Republican lawmakers voted for Jordan as House speaker, taking some votes away from McCarthy.
Now, there’s a second ballot — Jordan’s nomination for the House of Representatives. Matt Gates.
The 19 Republicans who voted against McCarthy in the first round are considering voting for Jordan in the second round, sources told CNN.
“I think Kevin McCarthy is the right person for us to lead us,” Jordan said of nominating McCarthy.
“I love his fights, I love his tenacity,” he added, “We need to rally around him”
The Ohio lawmaker said the divide among Republicans “pale in comparison” to the divide “between us and the left” in the party.
“So we better stick together” and fight, he said, citing several Republican agenda items, including legislative priorities and oversight.
Members can vote for anyone, they can protest by skipping the vote or voting “present”. The number of votes required for a majority can drop below 218 if enough people skip voting or vote “present.”
CNN’s Annie Grayer, Melanie Zanona and Manu Raju reported on this article.