Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy nominated Rep. Jim Jordan to replace him as lawmakers prepared to cast a third ballot on Friday.
Mr. McCarthy, who was pushed out by a group of hardline conservatives on Oct. 3, made the nominating speech as Mr. Jordan, also a hardline conservative, struggled to flip enough of the roughly two dozen GOP holdouts needed to win the job.
The ex-speaker sought to convince Mr. Jordan’s GOP opponents that he would be able to lead all the factions of the conference.
“Being speaker is not an easy job, especially in this conference,” Mr. McCarthy said. “But I’ve seen Jim spend his entire career fighting for freedom no matter what, no matter the odds, and I know he is ready for the job.”
Mr. Jordan has been working behind the scenes this week to try to convince holdouts to switch their votes. Many were dug in against him on Friday and discussing a backup plan to elect the appointed speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina.
Since his ouster, Mr. McCarthy has been pushing for Mr. Jordan. Once political foes, Mr. McCarthy in recent years elevated Mr. Jordan to Oversight and Accountability Committee chair and then Judiciary Committee chair. The two men are now close allies.
Mr. McCarthy said he called the freshman Republican members of the Judiciary Committee ahead of his floor nominating speech, and they complimented Mr. Jordan on his leadership.
“He’s straightforward, honest and reliable. That is who Jim Jordan is. And that’s what being a speaker is all about,” Mr. McCarthy said.
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