An ally of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said on Thursday that opposition to his election as speaker is due to fear of rewarding Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who is largely credited with the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) earlier this month.
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), who has supported Jordan’s bid and is working to whip votes in his favor, listed “grievances from folks not yet supporting” Jordan in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He wrote that Republican defectors think Gaetz “caused chaos with Motion-to-Vacate (fire McCarthy),” that Gaetz shouldn’t be rewarded with Jordan becoming speaker, and that if Gaetz receives such a win, it will propel him to success in Florida’s 2026 governor election.
Another reason Davidson gave about the defections is that “some of Jim Jordan’s supporters wouldn’t support Steve, so others shouldn’t support Jim.”
Some of the grievances from folks not yet supporting @Jim_Jordan:
– Matt Gaetz caused chaos with Motion-to-Vacate (fire McCarthy)
– Matt Gaetz has to own the chaos and cannot be rewarded by making Jim Speaker
– If Matt Gaetz is rewarded he will have tons of support in Florida’s…— Warren Davidson 🇺🇸 (@WarrenDavidson) October 19, 2023
The Ohio Republican said, “None of these are actual objections to Jim Jordan, but they have the same effect.” He claimed the refusal to support Jordan is hurting the Republican conference, as well as the entire Republican Party, and the public.
“Some wounds take more time to heal. Let’s make sure we do the work to heal. … Nevertheless, we cannot get back on offense without a Republican Speaker,” Davidson wrote.
He ended the post with a last call to his colleagues to unite behind Jordan.
In Jordan’s first vote for speaker on the House floor on Tuesday, 20 Republicans defected, more than his team had predicted. In a second vote on Wednesday, 22 Republicans voted against him, a sign that progress wasn’t being made. While Jordan picked up two votes — one member had voted for someone else, and another wasn’t present for the vote on Tuesday — four members who voted for him Tuesday turned against him.
As Jordan works to secure the necessary 217 votes to become speaker in his conference, several non-supportive Republicans have reported receiving concerning messages, including death threats. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), who flipped against Jordan on Wednesday, said in a statement, “I have received credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls,” adding she wouldn’t support a bully. Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-NE) wife reportedly received several anonymous messages because of her husband’s vote. Several other defectors also claimed to receive threats following their votes.
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Jordan condemned the threats against his colleagues on X, writing, “No American should accost another for their beliefs. We condemn all threats against our colleagues and it is imperative that we come together. Stop. It’s abhorrent.”
A third vote could take place after noon on Thursday. However, Jordan’s support has been reported to be dwindling rather than growing.
