Who are the two Republicans who flipped their vote in favor of Jordan?
October 18, 2023 01:46 PM
While Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) lost 22 Republican votes in his bid to become the next House speaker on Wednesday, he also gained the votes of two GOP lawmakers who voted against him on the first ballot.
Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN) voted for Jordan during the second round of voting on Wednesday. LaMalfa voted for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Tuesday, while Spartz was the sole vote for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).
LaMalfa’s flip was expected. He said in a statement on Tuesday that he would vote for Jordan during the second round.
“My vote today was out of a strong conviction that what has been happening in Washington, D.C., the last two weeks is very wrong,” LaMalfa said. “Kevin McCarthy was taken down for frivolous, unproductive reasons. We had a good thing going this year in doing House business, yet a handful of folks were able to take it all down because they didn’t get 100% of what they wanted.”
He added that his vote for McCarthy was “no aspersion on Jim Jordan.”
“I spoke with Jim after the first vote to confirm my support going forward, and he was happy and understood,” the California Republican said. “I will look forward to casting a vote for him on the second ballot” on Wednesday.
On the other side, Spartz’s decision to flip was unexpected. On Tuesday night, Spartz said she planned to “vote present or propose another name, if needed procedurally, until Jim reconciles with members.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Hours before the vote on Wednesday, Spartz criticized Jordan again in a post on X.
“Jim is elected by members and accountable to members from very diverse districts, so coercion and intimidation is not a good idea,” she said. “Before you coronate Jim please assess if he was effective for you or for McCarthy as Judiciary Chair.”