| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.1% |
| Republican | Jim Jordan (OH 4) | 200 | 46.3% |
| Republican | Steve Scalise (LA 1) | 7 | 1.6% |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 6 | 1.4% |
| Republican | Lee Zeldin | 3 | 0.7% |
| Republican | Tom Cole (OK 4) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Republican | Tom Emmer (MN 6) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Republican | Mike Garcia (CA 27) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Republican | Thomas Massie (KY 4) | 1 | 0.2% |
Note: official party nominees in bold.
Republicans do not look better by letting the Republicans flail. If this is going to be a repeat of the last speakership election, Republicans should vote for Jeffries.
There is no constitutional requirement that the speaker of the house be a member of the majority party in Congress. Republicans should vote for Jeffries since Jeffries has the most votes.
Hell, they could publish a list of alternatives to Jeffries in the Democratic party, inviting the public and media to compare candidates as they reach across the aisle.
Watching Republicans waste time until they negotiate toward a position that will appease Matt Gaetz and his chucklefucks shows just how much Republicans don’t give a fuck about neither the nation’s interests nor Democratic interests.
To a moderate Republican, the only thing worse than Gaetz is a Democratic political player. The only way a Republican can vote for the Democratic nominee is if that nominee is not a political operative.
A non-partisan speakership cuts the floor out from under Gaetz and his cronies, allowing the GOP to ignore its lunatic fringe and come back to the center.
When was the last time the Republicans let anything be non-political? Fucking surgical masks were political for crissakes! The moment a name comes out of the lips of a Democrat, Republicans will make it a partisan issue, no matter who is picked. Division isn’t a bug to them, it’s a feature.
And that’s the problem, isn’t it?