Jordan inches closer to speaker’s gavel after weekend pressure campaign

Representative James Jordan of Ohio appears to be inching closer to becoming the next Speaker of the House. After a weekend full of pressure, some of his Republican critics have bowed out of the race and endorsed him. He has also received endorsements from a number of conservative and Tea Party groups which would likely give him a majority of the Republican conference’s votes. Even President Trump appears to be on board, tweeting his support for Jordan. Despite these endorsements, Jordan still faces fierce opposition from other members of the GOP, including incoming House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is reportedly trying to convince enough members of the House to oppose Jordan. Jordan needs 218 votes to win the Speaker’s gavel, a number that may depend on whether he can convince enough of his opponents to join him.