Three House Republicans flipped against Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) in the third House speaker vote after supporting the Ohio Republican on earlier ballots.
In the third vote, Jordan lost 25 Republicans, an increase in defections from the previous two rounds, and was denied the speakership again. All three flips in the third round of voting are Republicans representing districts that voted for President Joe Biden in 2020. Here is a look at who they are.
SPEAKER VOTE: THE 25 REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED NOT TO ELECT JORDAN ON HIS THIRD BALLOT
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Fitzpatrick voted for Jordan in the first two votes, on Tuesday and Wednesday, but told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday he would not vote for the Ohio Republican on a third ballot. He said he favored empowering Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) in the interim.
The Pennsylvania Republican was one of six GOP members to vote for McHenry in the third round.
He represents Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, which includes all of Bucks County and part of Montgomery County, and was first elected in 2018. He won reelection in 2020 and 2022 by nearly 10 points in both elections despite running in a district with an “even” partisan voting index, according to the Cook Political Report.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ)
Kean swapped his vote because it “has become evident that Chairman Jordan does not and will not have the votes to become speaker,” he said in a statement issued during the third round of voting. The New Jersey Republican voted for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Friday.
“It is clear we need a conservative leader to helm the conference in this crucial time,” Kean said. “Therefore, for the good of the country, my district, and this institution, I will cast my next vote for Kevin McCarthy.”
He was one of two Republicans to vote for McCarthy on the third ballot.
Kean represents New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, which includes much of the western portions of the northern part of the state. He was first elected in 2022, winning in a district rated “Republican +1” on the Cook Political Report’s partisan voting index.
Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY)
Molinaro switched his vote away from Jordan in the third round because the Ohio Republican did not have enough votes to win the speakership.
“I voted for Jim Jordan twice because I believed he could unify our conference. I was hopeful and helpful in that effort. But right now, he does not have the necessary votes to win,” Molinaro said in a statement on Friday. “We need to get back to work and need a conservative who can win the speakership.”
The New York Republican was one of four members of Congress to vote for former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin in the third House speaker vote.
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Molinaro represents New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Hudson Valley and is south of Albany. He was first elected to the seat in 2022, winning in a district rated as “even” on the Cook Political Report’s partisan voting index.
A timetable for the next speaker vote has not been established, but the GOP House conference is meeting to determine the next steps after the third failed ballot. The House has been unable to legislate since McCarthy was ousted from the speakership earlier this month. To return to legislating, the House must elect a new speaker.
