(Washington) The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, one of the Republican Trumpist tenors, was named Friday his party’s candidate for the presidency of the House of Representatives during an internal vote, announced leaders of his party. training.
The House, controlled by the Republicans unlike the Senate with a Democratic majority, has been almost paralyzed since the surprise dismissal on October 3 of its president Kevin McCarthy, which exposed the gaping fractures of the party, one year before the 2024 presidential election.
This is the second vote this week within the parliamentary group, torn between moderate elected officials and troublemakers gravitating in the orbit of former President Donald Trump.
The previous one, Tuesday, was narrowly won by Steve Scalise, leader of the Republican majority in the House and elected from Louisiana, over Jim Jordan, supported in particular by Mr. Trump. But Mr. Scalise announced Thursday evening that he was abandoning his candidacy, as he was unable to gather enough votes to be elected “speaker”.
Mr. Jordan beat Austin Scott, another member of the conservative wing of the party, in a secret ballot on Friday. He received 124 votes against 81 for his opponent, according to American media.
PHOTO KEVIN LAMARQUE, REUTERS
Georgia Rep. Austin Scott
Although defending fairly similar conservative positions, the two men split during the vote on the certification of the election of Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020, vehemently contested by Donald Trump: Jim Jordan had voted against the validation of the results and Austin Scott for.
A vote by the entire House of Representatives is not expected on Friday, with many elected officials from both parties having left Washington.