Through 10 rounds of voting over three days, lawmakers have so far failed to choose the next House speaker.
The majority of the vote went to two men: House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), the party’s official nominee for the post, and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), whom House Democrats chose to lead their caucus after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stepped down from leadership at the end of the last Congress.
But several others received votes for the role, including two people who don’t even serve in the House. Here’s everyone who has received a speaker vote so far this week:
McCarthy
McCarthy has been busy trying to strike a deal with a group of far-right lawmakers who have so far refused to back him since before voting in the House Speaker race began on Tuesday.
Three days later, McCarthy and his allies are still trying to muster enough support to win him the presidency.
McCarthy has been the top Republican in the House since 2018, having served under former GOP Speakers John Boehner (Ohio) and Paul Ryan (Wisconsin). He previously launched an unsuccessful bid for chairman in 2015.
Jeffries
While infighting among Republicans continues, Democrats are united in their support of Jeffries, who has finished every round of voting so far with the most votes, securing the support of all 212 Democrats.
Jeffries, the first black member to lead a party in Congress, has been in the post since 2013. He was chairman of the House Democratic Caucus before winning a unanimous vote to become the next House Democratic leader after getting Pelosi’s endorsement .
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)
House Republicans, who refuse to support McCarthy, lobbied various lawmakers as possible alternatives to him, with Donalds the chosen candidate on Wednesday and most of Thursday.
Twenty lawmakers, including Donalds himself, endorsed the second-term congressman. Support for Donalds, one of two black Republicans currently in the House of Representatives, melted Thursday as lawmakers began nominating a number of other candidates for the position.
Donalds is a 44-year-old former businessman and state representative in Florida who is considered a rising star in the party.
In November, he challenged Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.) for conference chairman, the fourth-highest leadership position, but lost in a closed-door vote.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)
Jordan was one of the first Republican alternatives nominated to oppose McCarthy. However, Jordan pledged his support for McCarthy and urged his fellow Republicans to support him.
Jordan, a former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has been in Congress since 2007. A Trump ally, Jordan is well known for his combative and fiery appearances at congressional hearings.
Former President Trump
Trump, who is launching a 2024 presidential campaign, received his first vote for president on Thursday from Rep. Matt Goetz (R-Fla.), who came after his fellow McCarthy detractor, Rep. Lauren Bobert (R-Colo.) suggested she might nominate Trump for the position.
Trump himself tried to throw his weight into the race, publicly endorsing McCarthy on Wednesday and urging Republicans to make a deal for McCarthy to become the new chairman.
But as McCarthy struggled to find enough GOP support, some Republicans began to question the influence Trump had on the race.
The Constitution does not require the president to be a member of the House of Representatives or even Congress, but everyone in US history has been.
Rep. Kevin Hearn (R-Okla.)
Hearn became the next candidate around whom an anti-McCarthy faction began to coalesce on Thursday.
In the eighth round of voting, Hearn received the support of Boebert and Rep.-elect Josh Brechin (R-Okla.) and was formally nominated for the position by Boebert in the ninth round of voting.
Hearn is on track to become chairman of the Republican Research Committee, a faction of conservative Republicans who advocate for cuts in government spending and conservative social policies. Hearn’s office said in a statement Thursday that the chairmanship was a position he would “think and pray about.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Arizona)
In the first round of voting, Biggs received the most votes behind Jeffries and McCarthy.
Biggs, who is part of the anti-McCarthy crowd, did not receive a single vote after the first round of voting. He threw his support behind Jordan, Donalds and Hearn throughout the process.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.)
The only vote cast for Banks was from Brecheen in the first round of voting. Banks has backed McCarthy in every vote so far.
Banks, a Trump ally, has supported moves to run for president in 2020. He also sits on the Republican Investigative Committee.
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (RN.Y.)
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Zeldin left Congress to run for governor of New York, but that didn’t stop Rep. Andy Harris (R-Med.) from voting for him in the first round of voting.
Zeldin won the 2022 Republican nomination for governor of New York, but lost to incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul (D).
After briefly considering a run to head the Republican National Committee, he decided against it in December.
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