U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is struggling to get the 217 votes he needs to win the Speaker of the House position and now a mystery challenger will oppose him in the floor vote on Tuesday.

(Video Credit: CBS Mornings)

Republicans who oppose Jordan are vowing to present an unnamed challenger to his bid during the House floor speakership vote on Tuesday, according to two unnamed House Republicans who spoke to Politico.

“While they have not yet nailed down a specific name, they believe the person they ultimately land on will not only be able [to] block Jordan from the speakership, but also give cover to those who want to vote against him. The challenger will certainly take arrows from the far-right flank of the conference, which is pushing hard for Jordan,” Politico noted.

“There will be an alternative for the rational part of the Republican conference,” one unnamed House Republican asserted according to the news outlet.

This will make selecting a speaker even more tense after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) dropped out of the running because he did not have enough votes. Making things worse is the fact that some Republicans are said to be working with Democrats on shared House governance. All of this comes as the US is watching wars being fought on two fronts in Ukraine and now Israel. A speaker must be selected to move things forward.

Congrats Speaker-designate @Jim_Jordan! pic.twitter.com/zWAD06XVBp

— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) October 13, 2023

My statement in support of @Jim_Jordan as the next Speaker of the House: pic.twitter.com/j0WGX2FgnY

— Congressman Nick Langworthy (@RepLangworthy) October 13, 2023

So, far, Jordan is reportedly falling dozens of votes short of the speakership.

“Chairman Jordan is looking forward to uniting the entire conference on Tuesday in order to get back to work and pass the bills that the American people expect by giving Israel the resources they need to destroy Hamas and securing the southern border,” Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye declared in a statement.

Jordan’s conservative allies believe there are approximately a dozen hard “no” votes against him. His opponents believe that number is closer to 20. At this point, he will allegedly have to win over more than 50 Republicans opposing him to become speaker.

CNN reported that another unnamed Republican House member believes opponents have at least 40 “no” votes to block Jordan’s election.

After Jim Jordan was elected Speaker-Designate on Friday, Speaker Pro Tem @PatrickMcHenry made us take Saturday off, Sunday off, and now MONDAY OFF!

The Swamp is trying to delay a vote on the House floor as long as possible, hoping conservatives will move backward to Kevin… pic.twitter.com/Z9SjqiNRz0

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 15, 2023

“While there was a push for the party to support the nominee who the conference selected with a majority vote, Jordan supporters made clear quickly and loudly they wouldn’t back Scalise. Now, the same is happening to Jordan,” Politico noted.

“Jordan allies, meanwhile, want to charge into a floor vote with the hope that the public pressure from the conservative base, radio talk show hosts, and their own GOP colleagues, among others, will change the holdouts’ minds. Not to mention the threat of a primary challenge,” the outlet added.

“It’s time for a floor vote! Republicans should come back to DC to elect Jim Jordan the Speaker of the House. What are we waiting for? The American people want Jim to be the next Speaker,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) proclaimed on X.

.@Jim_Jordan was voted the Speaker-designee last Friday.

It’s time for a floor vote!

Republicans should come back to DC to elect Jim Jordan the Speaker of the House. What are we waiting for?

The American people want Jim to be the next Speaker.

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) October 15, 2023

Democrats and some Republicans want expanded powers for House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry while this is all sorted out.

Democratic support, of course, has a catch.

“In exchange for McHenry gaining additional powers, the Democrats requested that they receive half of the suspension bills on the legislative calendar to facilitate the House’s operation,” the Daily Mail reported.

That should give conservatives severe pause as it is an obvious grab for further power by the left.

Tuesday’s vote will be a very significant one for Republicans and for the nation.

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