Oklahoma delegation split on Speaker choice

WASHINGTON — As the race for the Speaker’s gavel continues, the Republican conference found itself back where it started Friday in yet another candidate forum — only this time it was Rep. Jim Jordan (R, Ohio) and Rep. Austin Scott (R, Ga.) vying for the key role.

Jordan ultimately emerged as the nominee for Speaker of the House.

Jordan won the Republican nomination by a vote of 124- 81, but he will have to secure 217 votes on the House floor to be named Speaker.

During a last-minute Republican conference Thursday evening, Rep. Steve Scalise (R, La.) — unable to gather enough GOP support to win House Speaker — removed his name from the ballot. As a result, Rep. Kevin Hern’s (R, Tulsa) bid for majority leader was dismissed.

This came just two days after Scalise won the Republican conference’s speaker nomination by a vote of 113-99 during a candidate forum Wednesday.

As House Republicans filed into the Committee on Ways and Means hearing room for a conference Friday morning, the question on everyone’s mind was if anyone would step in to challenge Jordan. The answer arrived shortly after when Scott announced his candidacy later that afternoon, just minutes before the candidate forum.

While many have thrown out Rep. Tom Cole’s name as a potential candidate — with some members of the Oklahoma delegation, such as Rep. Frank Lucas (R, Cheyenne), saying he would be great at anything he does, including being speaker — Cole has remained steadfast that he will not be reaching for the gavel.

“What if someone nominated you, Congressman?” a reporter asked Cole as the representative left the conference Friday.

“Nobody would be that dumb,” Cole said.

Rep. Josh Brecheen (R, Coalgate), who has voiced his support for Jordan since the beginning, said he will continue to stand behind the Ohio representative and plans to vote for him on the floor.

“Jim Jordan has the ability to bring this conference together,” Brecheen told Gaylord News. “I think he has the ability, I think he has the talent, I think he has the respect…to be able to unify — the conference has got some deep factions.”

Lucas was originally backing Scalise, but moved his support to Scott when he announced his candidacy. Lucas gave Scott’s nominating speech during the forum.

Hern, on the other hand, said he would vote for Jordan and gave his nominating speech during the forum.

Just as Cole has been unwavering in his opposition to running for speaker, he too has remained outwardly neutral during the speaker fight, saying he would support “whoever the Republican nominee is.”

The House of Representatives has adjourned until 6 p.m. Monday. It is unclear when Republicans will call for a vote to elect the new speaker.

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.