US House speaker vote: Jim Jordan scrambles for support on day two

Congressman has had only hours to swing votes of GOP hardliners who denied him the gavel on Tuesday

The House of Representatives reconvened on Wednesday morning to try to elect a new speaker, after the hard-right congressman Jim Jordan failed to win the gavel in the first round of voting.

Twenty Republicans opposed Jordan on Tuesday, leaving him far short of the 217 votes needed to ascend to the speakership. Because of Republicans’ razor-thin majority in the House, Jordan can only afford four defections within his party and still become speaker.