Politics | speaker of the House Math Is Turning in Favor of Jim Jordan as Speaker Trump ally is closer to magic number ahead of voting on Tuesday afternoon By John Johnson Posted Oct 17, 2023 9:15 AM CDT Copied Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, speaks with reporters following a closed door meeting with House Republicans Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The House has been without a speaker for two weeks, but that could end on Tuesday. The chamber is expected is expected to vote around noon on whether conservative Jim Jordan will get the gavel, reports the Hill. The man he hopes to replace—the ousted Kevin McCarthy—predicted Tuesday morning on the X platform that Jordan will indeed get enough votes. Jordan can afford only four nays from fellow Republicans, and he has been making progress convincing holdouts over the last few days. The New York Times estimates the number of holdouts, generally all moderates, stands at about 10 following closed-door meetings Monday. And getting down to four is not a sure thing, per an assessment at the Hill. Jordan's critics view the staunch ally of former President Trump as too extreme to ascend to the position of second in line to the presidency, but Jordan has been trying to allay those concerns. "The role of the speaker is to bring all Republicans together. That's what I intend to do," the Ohio congressman wrote to fellow House Republicans in a letter. "We will make sure there are more Republican voices involved in our major decisions beyond the Five Families," he added, referring to the nickname for the factions within the GOP ranks. Whatever happens, don't expect Jordan to win on the first ballot. "I'm hearing three might be the charm," writes Mike Allen at Axios. Read These Next Sienna proves herself to be a very, very good dog. Three hikers jumped into a waterfall and never resurfaced. America has lost a '60s teen idol. Millions of student loan borrowers could see their paychecks docked. Report an error