All 12 California Republicans back Rep. Jim Jordan, who again falls short in bid for Speaker

All 12 California Republicans stood Wednesday behind Rep. Jim Jordan, whose second bid for Speaker of the House of Representatives fell well short of the required 217 votes.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, had voted for ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Tuesday on the first ballot but switched to Jordan, R-Ohio, this time.

LaMalfa explained that his vote for McCarthy was a vote out of loyalty for a longtime friend and colleague, but he had always planned to back Jordan this time.

Nevertheless, Jordan lost ground Wednesday, with 22 lawmakers voting for other candidates. His backers said he would continue to seek another ballot, but it was unclear what was next.

All Democrats supported Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat.

The House has been without a permanent speaker since it removed McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, two weeks ago. Eight conservative hardliners joined with all House Democrats to remove him.

North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry has been speaker pro tempore while Republicans, who have a slim majority, met behind closed doors for a week in search of a replacement. A speaker pro tem has very limited powers, meaning the House can’t pass other legislation in the interim. It’s a reason cited by lawmakers, including Rep. John Duarte, for switching their support to Jordan.

“We need to get back to work,” Duarte, R-Modesto, wrote in a message to The Bee before the vote.

There’s urgency to get a speaker so that Congress can avert a government shutdown before a mid-November deadline.

Jordan is an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, whom the Ohio Republican falsely claimed won the 2020 presidential election. The House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol called Jordan a “significant player” in Trump’s attempts to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden. Trump has endorsed Jordan for speaker.

Jordan has also been a prominent figure in previous government shutdowns, which Congress is attempting to avoid right now. And he has consistently voted against sending aid to Ukraine, a largely bipartisan measure, as it fights against a Russian incursion.

At first, Jordan failed to gather moderate support when he and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, announced their intentions to succeed McCarthy. Scalise won the first closed-door vote. But when it was clear last week he couldn’t sway the hardline conservatives, he stepped aside.

Jordan spent the days before Tuesday’s vote assuaging Republicans’ worries.

“After having a conversation with Jim Jordan about how we must get the House back on a path to achieve our national security and appropriations goals, I will be supporting him for Speaker on the floor,” Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, posted on social media Monday.

California Republicans first backed McCarthy

Duarte and other California Republicans at first turned to McCarthy, saying before he was removed that he could be picked again later in the week.

McCarthy said he would not seek the gavel after being demoted. But in subsequent days, he became ambiguous about the question, telling reporters he’d respect the conference’s choice.

It took 15 rounds of votes and a series of concessions for McCarthy to get the gavel himself in January.

Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, voted for Jordan. Valadao, who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 riot, kept his pick for speaker quiet throughout the process. But he did publicly blame Democrats for ousting McCarthy well into last week.

“If you didn’t want the clown show you shouldn’t have hopped in the clown car,” Valadao snapped at one of his California colleagues on social media. “Every single Democrat teamed up with 8 Republicans and got us into this mess.”

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, was considered one of the most crucial swing votes. During last week’s deliberations, he often urged colleagues to resurrect the speakership of McCarthy.

Sunday, as the prospect of a new McCarthy bid faded, McClintock announced he would back Jordan.

“House Republicans have suffered a total breakdown of party discipline. A majority party is only a majority party when it votes as a majority,” McClintock tweeted.

He reiterated that McCarthy should never have been ousted, but said, “now Jim Jordan is the majority’s choice and deserves the vote of every Republican.”

Judiciary Committee Republicans

McClintock and Jordan are senior colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee. McClintock heads its immigration subcommittee.

Jordan’s other California Judiciary Committee colleagues also gave him support.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, got sentimental, recalling how on the night he was elected in 2022, Jordan saw him on the Fox News Channel, called him and offered him a coveted committee slot.

The committee is a major engine of GOP messaging and ideology, as it deals not only with immigration issues, but with the possible impeachment of President Joe Biden and strategies to combat crime.

“As judiciary chair, he’s exposed corruption and pursued accountability like no one else,” Kiley said.

Issa, second-ranking Republican on Judiciary — who could wind up the chairman if Jordan becomes speaker — was an early Jordan supporter.

On October 5, he urged colleagues to back Jordan, saying “Jim has the respect and admiration of our fellow Republicans, he holds their trust, and he has earned their confidence. They know what he can do — and will do — if given this opportunity.”

Jordan gathering surprises

The biggest surprise among delegation Jordan-backers may be Calvert, R-Corona.

Calvert was an early supporter of Scalise, and part of a group of Republican lawmakers pushing hard for a stronger defense. Calvert chairs the defense appropriations subcommittee, which makes key Pentagon spending decisions.

Monday, after speaking with Jordan and becoming convinced that as speaker he’d back strong national security policies, Calvert became a supporter.