Thursday's wild whiplash sets the stage for potential third Speaker vote on Friday

Rep. Jim Jordan talks to reporters after emerging from a meeting with some of the House Republican holdouts at the Rayburn House Office Building on October 19, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, announced after a turbulent Thursday that he would hold an 8 am ET press conference Friday to discuss the Republican plan to elect a House Speaker.

Jordan has consistently said he is not backing out of the Speaker’s race. But, his opposition is mounting.

Jordan lost 20 votes during Tuesday’s roll call. He then lost 22 votes on Wednesday. Fox is told that Jordan would lose even more votes if the House takes a ballot for Speaker on Friday. 

One GOP source characterized this as an “escalatory strategy.” 

The House is currently scheduled to convene at 10 am ET. And the plan — for now — is to have a quorum call and then a third vote for Speaker around 11 am ET.

The expected plan could change with Jordan’s early bird press conference.

Consider the wild whiplash of Thursday:

It was thought the House might take a midday vote. Then Jordan said he would remain a candidate for Speaker but hold off on going to the floor again. He would endorse a plan by Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) to temporarily grant Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) more power so the House could return to functionality.

But hours later, Jordan reversed himself, insisting there would be an evening floor vote for Speaker.

However, plans for that were dashed as the House adjourned, teeing up a potential vote for Speaker for Friday. The legislative body could proceed with votes over the weekend, pending Friday's developments.