House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy confirmed Monday that he is backing Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker in an effort to rally more Republicans behind the Ohio lawmaker.
McCarthy had previously been tightlipped about whom he was supporting in the race to replace Paul Ryan as the next Speaker of the House, but on Monday the California Republican finally made it official.
Over the weekend, Jordan had mounted a campaign of quiet phone calls to key lawmakers ahead of a vote McCarthy’s team is hoping will take place before the end of the year. Jordan’s efforts, along with McCarthy’s support, appear to have put him in a much better position to become the next Speaker.
If Jordan can secure the majority of Republican representatives’ support, it could give him an edge over the party’s other contenders. It’s also possible that Jordan could garner enough support from Democrats to become speaker if no Republican candidate can secure the 218 votes needed for a majority.
