Jim Jordan Won't Seek Third House Speaker Vote This Week: Report

Jordan and other Republicans are coalescing around a plan to allow Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry to act as Speaker until January

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan reportedly won't run a third time for House Speaker this week after losing his first and second rounds of voting and will instead back a plan to expand the powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry for the coming months.

Jordan and other Republicans are coalescing around a plan to allow McHenry to act as Speaker until January, and therefore help avert congressional gridlock ahead of a looming government shutdown.

Jordan will still run for the permanent position of House Speaker eventually and use the next few months to shore up support, Politico reports.

So far, however, the plan isn't drawing widespread support, with New Republic reporter Grace Segers writing on X that discussions about the plan had dragged on for hours, with at least one congressman saying the resolution to empower McHenry was "dead."

Related: House Names Temporary Speaker Pro Tempore After Kevin McCarthy's Historic Ousting

McHenry, a North Carolina representative, was appointed temporary Speaker Pro Tempore after Kevin McCarthy became the first Speaker of the House to be stripped of his role during a legislative term in U.S. history.

The unprecedented motion to remove McCarthy from the nation's third-highest post followed a recall vote earlier this month, in which the House voted 216-210 to strip him of his leadership role.

Shortly after McCarthy's ouster, Republicans nominated Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise to be speaker, though he could not shore up support to win the speaker election and soon withdrew himself from consideration for the role.

House Republicans then chose Jordan as the party's nominee, though he could not get majority support during two rounds of voting this week.

To formally be elected as speaker, a nominee must secure a majority of votes during the formal election — that means Jordan would need 217 votes, if everyone in the House participates.

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McHenry was elected to Congress in 2004 at the age of 29 and has served 10 terms. The Gastonia, North Carolina native currently resides in Denver, North Carolina, and represents the state's 10th District, which includes Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, and Rutherford Counties.

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