The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday failed to elect a new speaker in the second round of voting, as Right-wing Republican Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, lost more votes from his own party compared with the first round amid continued Republican infighting.
Jordan won 199 votes out of the 221 House Republicans, losing 22 Republican votes in the second round of full-chamber voting, compared with 20 Republican defections in the first round on Tuesday, indicating mounting resistance within the party.
Among the 22 Republican holdouts, five voted for former speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was removed from the position two weeks ago, and seven voted for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who previously won the Republican speakership nomination but failed to unite the party and dropped out of the race.
Three voted for former Representative Lee Zeldin, who is not a member of Congress at this time. One cast his vote for former House Speaker John Boehner, who was forced to retire early in 2015 by threats of ouster from right-flank insurgents like those who toppled McCarthy.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic nominee, received all 212 votes from his party. Both Jordan and Jeffries fell shy of the 217 majority needed to become the next House speaker.