Last Updated on January 3, 2023
Despite supporting him during the first two ballots, a Florida Republican has flaked on his support for Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid in the House’s third ballot.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) threw his support behind Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) during Tuesday’s House Speaker election after voting for Rep. McCarthy (R-CA) on the first two ballots.
Donalds joined 19 other Republicans who rallied together against McCarthy. These Republicans are pushing back against a McCarthy speakership for a variety of reasons previously reported by National File.
READ MORE: Gaetz: Every Republican Knows ‘Kevin McCarthy Believes In Nothing Except Money And Power’
With 222 Republicans in Congress, McCarthy could only afford four Republican defectors to win the necessary 218 votes to be elected Speaker.
With the number of defectors being 19 on the first two ballots, and rising on the third, McCarthy’s path to the speaker’s gavel is nowhere near over.
Of the 20 “no” voters, five come from freshmen GOPers: Andy Ogles (TN), Keith Self (TX), Josh Brecheen (OK), Eli Crane (AZ), and Anna Paulina Luna (FL).
Rep. Donalds, a sophomore congressman, joined Florida reps. Matt Gaetz and Anna Paulina Luna in backing Jim Jordan over Kevin McCarthy.
Here is the full list of McCarthy “no” voters:
Andy Biggs (AZ)
Matt Gaetz (FL)
Andy Harris (MD)
Scott Perry (PA)
Chip Roy (TX)
Anna Paulina Luna (FL)
Eli Crane (AZ)
Andy Ogles (TN)
Matt Rosendale (MT)
Bob Good (VA)
Michael Cloud (TX)
Mary Miller (IL)
Keith Self (TX)
Josh Brecheen (OK)
Andrew Clyde (GA)
Ralph Norman (SC)
Paul Gosar (AZ)
Lauren Boebert (CO)
Dan Bishop (NC)
Byron Donalds (FL)
Stay tuned to National File for any updates.