WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have a narrow majority over Democrats. Over a dozen seats currently held by Republicans are considered “toss-up” races in 2024, meaning they could go either way next November.
Support from moderate voters in 2024 will be pivotal both for the representatives in those districts and for the Republican House majority.
However, some experts say casting a vote for Speaker designate, Jim Jordan (R-OH), could hurt Republicans in those districts, and potentially, the House majority.
“A vote for Jordan is potentially some material for negative attack ads in the future. Jordan has some ethical issues as well as being very conservative,” said Professor Todd Belt, the director of George Washington University’s Political Management Master’s Program.
Belt believes Rep. Jordan faces an uphill battle to secure the 217 votes he needs from his colleagues to become the next Speaker of the House.
“Most people thought that he would be able to pull over a lot of Scalise’s votes, and he just hasn’t been able to, which indicates that there’s a lot of people out there who just don’t want him as Speaker,” said Belt.
One reason for skepticism is concern over reelection chances in 2024.
Jordan, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is a strong and vocal supporter of former President Trump and has been a key player in the investigation into Hunter Biden.
Belt says many moderates view Jordan as too extreme, however, he believes maintaining a Republican majority will depend on the job Jordan does as Speaker, if elected.
“It really depends upon what he does as Speaker. Now, of course, he’s going to have to cut a lot of deals to get that Speakership and will have to come through on a lot of them or else they may vote to vacate the chair again,” said Belt. “But I think what really matters in terms of whether or not Jordan is a liability on the party is if he is Speaker, how he is going to act as speaker,” Belt added.
Jordan feels confident he will be able to rally the members needed to get to 217 for Tuesday’s vote for Speaker of the House.
