Two Republicans have announced candidacies to replace Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker: Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio.
Scalise was nominated Wednesday for speaker by a narrow majority of Republicans during a closed, secret-ballot conference meeting. But a significant number of Republicans from across the ideological spectrum said they planned to protest his official election on the House floor.
While Jordan was defeated in the conference vote, some of his supporters have signaled they may still back him on the House floor. A Jordan spokesman said he plans to support Scalise.
Jordan and Scalise have a lot in common. They are staunch conservatives who have been in Congress for over a decade, ascending to positions of power within the House which have primed them for the speakership in different ways. Each lawmaker also survived headline-making scandals that threatened their political careers.
But they also diverge in notable ways. Jordan has a reputation as a political flamethrower — lobbing attacks against Democrats and being unafraid to disagree with his party’s leadership. Scalise, meanwhile, is a veteran of Republican leadership and, most recently, served as McCarthy’s No. 2.
Here’s a look at the two men:
