On Tuesday, nearly 20 Republicans in the House of Representatives abstained from voting for GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy of California to be speaker, preventing the office from being filled after the first vote.
As the Democrats voted unanimously in favor of Hakeem Jeffries of New York, 19 Republicans cast ballots for other candidates to succeed McCarthy as House speaker, taking away crucial votes from him.
For the first time in a century, neither McCarthy nor Jeffries received the majority vote to become speaker as a result of the split, which brought the House to a standstill and prevented any official business or the swearing-in of any new members.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio received six votes; Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana, Byron Donalds of Florida, and former Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York each received one; and Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arkansas received ten votes.
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Reps. Biggs, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Josh Bechreen of Oklahoma, Michael Cloud of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Eli Crane of Arizona, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Andy Harris of Maryland, Ana Paulina Luna of Florida, Mary Miller of Illinois, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Matt Rosendale were among the 19 GOP lawmakers who voted against McCarthy.
For the first time since 1923, the House will vote twice to elect the speaker, with McCarthy receiving Jordan’s nomination.
Jordan’s decision to put McCarthy forward for the speakership may have won over some members, but the House will continue into a third round of voting because six Republicans and counting voted for a different candidate.
While Gaetz proposed Jordan as a replacement Republican for McCarthy, Jeffries was renominated by the Democrats.
McCarthy has the support of the large majority of House Republicans among the conservative nominees, but it is unclear if he will have enough votes to win the speakership in the second ballot.
Republicans who won in 2020 presidential candidate Biden’s congressional districts pledged last week to continue holding elections until McCarthy is confirmed as speaker.
