Despite his bravado, horse-trading, and confident bravado, the fourth time was not the charm to GOP Leader and Speaker Nominee Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy’s lead fell from 203 votes to 201 on Tuesday due to the nomination of Chip Roy, Texas Rep., for Speaker of the House. For this vote, the 20 members who had voted previously for OH Rep. Jim Jordan shifted their loyalty to Donalds.
CBS News:
Another Republican was nominated by the GOP breakaway faction, Rep. Byron Donalds from Florida. He replaced Rep. Jim Jordan, who had voted to confirm McCarthy’s election and has since said he wasn’t seeking the speakership. It was the first time that two Black men have been nominated for the House speaker’s post, thanks to Hakeem Jeffries being nominated by the Democrats.
McCarthy was again nominated by Rep. Mike Gallagher from Indiana. To cheers from the Democratic caucus, Pete Aguilar, a Democratic Representative, nominated Hakeem Jeffreys again. Republican breakaways tossed in another nominee: Rep. Byron Donalds from Florida. He had switched his vote from McCarthy to Rep. Jim Jordan in the third round. (He has stated that he doesn’t want the speakership).
Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz voted “Present” setting a precedent for future rounds of votes.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) only voted “present” because she was told (once again) that she wasn’t allowed to vote “Putin”. https://t.co/MMRHfWGHNX
— Zim (@Zimzalagrim) January 4, 2023
