Election for House speaker: How many votes do nominees need to win?
Rep. Jim Jordan has given up on his bid to become Speaker of the House. Who else could run and how many votes do they need to secure the gavel?
On Friday afternoon, after Rep. Jim Jordan announced that he would no longer seek the Speakership, the GOP returned to square one. Rep. The Republican caucus is back on the search to find a candidate to unify the party. The interim Speaker, formally known as the Speaker Pro Tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, said that the Republicans will reconvene on Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET and that the next election for Speaker will take place on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. ET, giving candidates time to make their case to members.
Votes need to win to the gavel
In the House of Representatives, there are 435 seats, of which 221 are controlled by Republicans and 212 by Democrats. The magic number to win the Speakership is 218. However, when members are absent from the chamber, as was the case in the third round of voting for Rep. Jordan on Friday, the total number of votes needed drops. During the Friday vote, Rep. Jordan only needed 215 votes, but he fell short, only receiving 194.
Which Republicans have jumped into the race for Speaker?
Since Rep. Jordan dropped out of the race, a few candidates have put their names forward, including Rep. Kevin Hurns of Oklahoma’s First District.
Rep. Herns is not a House ‘lifer,’ only having served in the House since 2018. He currently chairs the Republican Study Committee, a conservative caucus that advocates for proposals that limit government spending unrelated to defense and whose members are socially conservative (i.e., oppose same-sex marriage legality at the national level and abortion rights).
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota Sixth District, has also announced his bid for Speaker, writing on X that he is running “to deliver on a conservative agenda that secures our border, stops reckless spending, and holds Joe Biden accountable.” Rep. Emmer has more experience than the other members who have stated their intention to run, having served in House leadership and as a representative since 2005.
Earlier on Saturday, Rep. Byron Donalds, who represents the Nineteenth District, announced his candidacy as well. Rep. Donalds was nominated by some members of the GOP caucus back in January during the several rounds of voting that eventually ended with the election of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker.
Rep. Donald was elected to the House in 2021, making him one of the least experienced congressional representatives to announce a bid for the speakership. However, before being elected to Congress, he served in the Florida State Legislature for four years.