For the latest updates on the Speaker’s race, click here.

10/20 Evening update: After a third defeat on the House floor, the House Republican conference voted to drop Rep. Jim Jordan as its speaker nominee. The conference is expected to meet on Monday to select a new nominee.

10/20 Morning update: The House is expected to hold a third vote to select a new Speaker today, Friday, at 10 am ET. It is unclear wether Rep. Jim Jordan has managed to garner more support than he had previously. At a press conference following an internal party meeting yesterday, he said he would meet with those who voted against him in an attempt to persuade them to change their votes.

-10/19 Noon update: The third vote to elect a speaker in the House of Representatives has been canceled. It is apparent Rep. Jim Jordan does not have the votes to get confirmed, and rumors have been floating that he is willing to  empower House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry to take on a more expanded role for now. Although we have not been able to independently confirm the rumors, the idea has been talked about on the Hill, even from Democrat members who prefer him over Rep. Jordan. Many conservatives fear the move will give power to the more liberal side of the chamber and are fighting against it. 

-10/19 Morning update: The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet at 12pm ET today. A third vote for Speaker is expected to begin around 1 pm. Rep. Jim Jordan continues to work to get the support of 217 members that he needs. Join us as we pray for the members to come together for the good of the nation.

-10/18 Noon update: Rep. Jim Jordan did not have the votes to secure the speakership in a second vote that just concluded in the House floor. A third vote is expected. The House has recessed, subject to the call of the chair. 

-10/18 Morning update: The House of Representatives will meet at 11am this morning, when, after some procedural matters and speeches, a  second vote to elect a House speaker is expected.

-10/17 Evening update: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio 4) did not receive the 217 votes necessary to win the Speakership. The House has recessed, subject to the call of the chair. 
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Earlier this year, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California 20) had to endure 15 elections to secure the speakership, an early warning sign that it would be difficult for the House GOP to stay united. In order for McCarthy to garner enough votes for the Speaker’s gavel, he had to promise he would make a change to the “motion to vacate” House rule. Previously, the majority of a party conference was needed to bring up the motion to vacate, but the proposal McCarthy accepted required only one person from the party to bring up the motion. With six Republicans having voted “present” in the final speaker election, it was always a real possibility that Speaker McCarthy could face such a challenge.

As you probably know by now, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida 1) brought forward the motion to vacate McCarthy last week on October 2, 2023. Eight Republicans, plus the entirety of the Democratic caucus, voted to remove McCarthy as Speaker. This, inevitably, set off a struggle to select the next Speaker and ended with all members being sent back to their district until after the Columbus Day holiday.

Representatives flooded back to the District of Columbia on Tuesday only to be reminded that it was going to be a tough week debating over who should be the new Speaker. Two names quickly emerged: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana 1) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio 4), both strong conservative candidates. After a closed-door candidate forum and an internal election, Majority Leader Scalise emerged victorious to be the Speaker nominee.

Rep. Jordan also, agreed to support the Majority Leader. Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) applauded Rep.  Jordan’s selfless willingness to unify the conference and urged all conservative members to follow his example and give the American people what is desperately needed at this urgent hour: a unified front to withstand the increasing assaults from the radical Left.

However, things quickly devolved as a few Republicans signaled they would not vote for Rep. Scalise on the House floor, causing the Majority Leader to withdraw from the race on Thursday afternoon. In response to why Scalise withdrew from the race, he said, “Our conference still has to come together and we’re not there …”

This week, the Republican party hosted another candidate forum between Rep. Jordan and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Georgia 8). Rep. Jordan won that vote (124-81). However, there is uncertainty as to whether he will have the support of 217 Republicans, the number necessary to win a final floor vote.

Many members came back from the Columbus Day weekend with hope that a new speaker would be elected by the end of the week, but hope has continued to dwindle as we move quickly into the weekend. The struggle is likely to continue unto next week.

CWALAC continues to ask members to unite for the good of the country. We are in a very sensitive moment in history with the war in Ukraine still ongoing, declared war by Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, brought on by last weekend’s terrorist attack, chaos at our southern border, another possible government shutdown knocking on the door, and a Biden Administration that continues to prioritize its radical abortion and gender ideology over our country’s most pressing needs.

Please help us pray that the House of Representatives quickly finds the resolve to tackle the Speaker vacancy so that we can focus on the many challenges facing our nation at this critical hour.