House

Jim Jordan considering a bid for Speaker

by Juliegrace Brufke 04/13/18 10:31 AM ET

Conservative hard-liner Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is considering a bid to succeed House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in his leadership role, according to multiple members of the House Freedom Caucus.

Jordan confirmed that he is interested in the idea and that conservative lawmakers are pushing him to run, though he emphasized that Ryan is still currently holding the Speaker’s gavel.

“I’m not announcing anything other than — there isn’t a Speaker’s race — but if and when there is, like I’ve said, colleagues have encouraged me to consider it and I’m open to that,” he told reporters Friday.

The Washington Post first reported that Jordan — who has a reputation for being a thorn in leadership’s side, once having led the House Freedom Caucus — was interested in the seeking the position.

While it would be nearly impossible for the Ohio Republican to garner the 218 votes needed to become Speaker, he could play a pivotal role in determining who ultimately wins the race should he decide to run. If Jordan opts to throw his hat into the ring, it could throw a curveball into the race, potentially drawing conservative votes away from the probable frontrunners. {mosads}

With the House Freedom Caucus holding a block of 25 to 30 votes, it’s possible the powerful conservative group could use the opportunity to strike a deal for a lower leadership post or better committee positions.

“I mean, it’s way too early to talk about that, but what I do know is whoever is the next Speaker, there’s one thing and one thing more than anything else that’s needed is to do what we told the American people we were going to do — and obviously that didn’t happen on the omnibus bill, so that’s the most important as you think about the future,” Jordan told The Hill Wednesday following Ryan’s retirement announcement.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) are currently the two most likely candidates to lead Republicans in the lower chamber in the 116th Congress, whether as Speaker or minority leader. And the far-right wing of the conference has already made it clear they will only support a candidate they believe will advocate for conservative policies.

Updated at 11:33 a.m.