Rep. Jim Jordan Fails Again in Quest for House Speaker, Receives Death Threats
In his ongoing pursuit to become the next U.S. House speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan faced yet another setback on Friday morning. The House held its third vote to elect a speaker since California Republican Kevin McCarthy was ousted two weeks ago, making history as the first House speaker to be ousted. Despite receiving an endorsement from McCarthy himself, Jordan failed to secure the necessary votes.
During the nomination speech, U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, a Republican from Georgia’s 3rd congressional district, publicly declared his support for U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, marking a significant departure from his initial backing of Jordan. However, Ferguson’s decision was met with dire consequences as he and his family received death threats following the vote.
Shortly after casting that [second] vote, my family and I started receiving death threats. That is simply unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated, Ferguson stated.
Ferguson’s district covers parts of metro Atlanta and extends southwest towards Columbus. His change of loyalty dealt an additional blow to Jordan, who experienced a decline in support during each voting attempt. Friday’s vote saw 25 Republican members voting against Jordan, compared to 20 on Monday and 22 on Thursday.
Rep. Austin Scott from Georgia’s 8th district briefly pursued the speaker position last week but ultimately shifted his support to Jordan.
The escalating tension surrounding the House speaker contest highlights deep divisions within the Republican Party. As the situation develops, it remains uncertain who will emerge as the victor in the battle for the coveted speakership.
