Brandon Livesay
Live reporter

The House is still without an elected Speaker and the man who wants the job felt it pull slightly further out of his grasp this afternoon.

Jim Jordan is the Republican party's pick to be Speaker of the House, but 20 Republicans did not vote for him today.

He is a close ally of Donald Trump and part of a small far-right faction within his own political party.

Those allegiances may have cost him key votes, and Jordan will now have to work throughout the night to try and convince his fractured party that he is the best candidate for the role.

We're expecting the next vote to take place on Wednesday at 11:00 local time (16:00 BST).

• For more details on how the House voted, you can read this article
• If you are wondering what the House Speaker even does, we have you covered with this explainer
• And if you want to know more about Jim Jordan, check out this video

Our writers today have been Phil McCausland and Christy Cooney, with Bernd Debusmann Jnr and Brandon Drenon reporting from Capitol Hill.

Thanks for following along with us - we'll be back tomorrow.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on the steps of the Capitol that Republicans only have "two paths" forward to find a Speaker: Bend the knee to the radical wing of the Republican party or work with Democrats.

"There have been ongoing informal conversations that have been undertaken over the last few days," he says.

"There's a possibility those can accelerate now that Jim Jordan clearly does not have the votes for Speaker."

Jeffries called Jordan a "clear and present danger to our democracy" and the "poster child" of Donald Trump's Maga ideology.

He said there were many other Republicans who were qualified to be speaker, and he was willing to discuss the issue with leaders on the other side of the aisle.

"The objective," Jeffries said, "is to reopen the House of Representatives."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

It looks as if we're ending another day on Capitol Hill without a successful bid to become Speaker of the House of Representatives, after Jim Jordan failed in his initial attempt on the House floor.

As we heard just moments ago, Jordan has vowed to "keep working".

In practice, this means that he and his allies will be feverishly trying to woo the Republicans that voted against him.

How much work that will entail is unclear.

Some have suggested that they'll vote for Jordan in a second round - which we now think will happen at 11:00 local time (16:00 BST) tomorrow.

Others, however, have said that they'll stick to their "no" votes.

And some have even said they believe the number of people standing against Jordan will actually grow.

As a reminder, only a small number of Republican "no" votes are needed to scupper Jordan's chances again.

We won't really be sure how that will go until tomorrow, but here on Capitol Hill, it certainly seems like he is still facing an uphill battle.

Jim Jordan just emerged from his office and says there will not be a vote tonight. He said that the House is expected to reconvene at 11:00 local time [16:00 BST].

Jordan said he intends to "keep working" until the House has a new Speaker after meeting with Republican leadership.

It does not appear the Ohio congressman is giving up his bid for the post, and he insisted that members of his party not buckle to pressure.

"It can't be a deal with Democrats," he told reporters.

As a point of optimism, Jordan emphasised that his candidacy had received 200 votes and that he had good conversations with other lawmakers.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
BBC News, on Capitol Hill

Image source, Getty Images

One of the anti-Jordan Republicans, Oregon's Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has floated the idea of giving current interim Speaker Patrick McHenry additional powers to allow the House to function.

In a statement posted on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, Chavez-DeRemer said that "it's clear that the Republican conference is still divided" and must "refocus on what really matters".

Here on the Hill, we first heard the suggestion that Patrick McHenry could be empowered last week.

Under this thinking, McHenry would be granted extra powers on a temporary basis - for periods of up to 30 or 90 days.

This would allow the House to function - and avoid a government shutdown in a month's time - while a longer-term solution is found.

It's unclear how much support this has among Republican members.

For now, the idea still seems to be to attempt to sway those who voted against Jordan - although that seems like an uphill slog.

Image source, Getty Images

Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican member of the House, sent a letter to the temporary House Speaker requesting an immediate second vote on electing a new Speaker.

After sharing the letter on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, at least a dozen of House Republicans reposted it and called for the same.

"I agree," wrote Don Bacon, a Republican representative from Nebraska. "Let's settle this and not drag it out."

What's notable is that not all of those who shared support for an immediate second ballot voted "yes" for Jordan. That could mean they want to ensure his candidacy is killed or that some have softened their opposition.

Doug LaMalfa, a California Republican House member, intends to change his vote to support Jordan. He voted for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy on the first ballot as a protest.

"Today's vote for Kevin McCarthy was no aspersion on Jim Jordan," he said. "I spoke with Jim after the first vote to confirm my support going forward."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
BBC News, on Capitol Hill

The House of Representatives may be called back for another round of voting at 18:00 local time (23:00 BST), the BBC understands.

A Capitol Hill source familiar with the internal debate going on in the Republican Party told the BBC "that's the idea" when asked about the timing, although they declined to give further details.

Stay with us for further updates.

Image source, Getty Images

Will the House return to the floor once again today to vote on Speaker?

"That's the plan," Jim Jordan told reporters.

He said he was not giving up and avoided the question when asked how many ballots he would be willing to sit through to gain the needed Republican support.

"We need to get a speaker as soon as possible and get to work for the American people," Jordan said in response.

The Ohio congressman is working to get "no" votes to switch to his side. He said he had not heard any complaints about his tactics to get the needed numbers, despite reports of an ongoing pressure campaign against those who opposed him.

Despite his best efforts, conservative firebrand Jim Jordan failed to unify Republican's razor-thin majority to become the next House Speaker.

Twenty of Jordan's Republican colleagues voted against him in the first ballot, which will be a tough deficit to overcome. Jordan could not afford to lose more than four votes.

The Republican defectors threw their support behind others, including former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the most recent nominee Steve Scalise. Even Democrats' candidate for the post, Hakeem Jeffries, earned more votes than Jordan despite having no pathway to victory.

In the aftermath of the afternoon's political fireworks, Republicans seemed no closer to resolving their issues and coming to a consensus.

"It's clear that the Republican Conference is still divided, and I'm deeply concerned that the chaos of the last few weeks would only continue if Congressman Jordan becomes Speaker," said Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who voted for McCarthy.

But the Ohio congressman is not giving up. Jordan's spokesperson, Russel Dye, said the House will hold another vote later today.

"It's time for Republicans to come together," Dye said.

Two congressional staffers indicated to BBC News that may not happen any time soon and suggested a second vote could go poorly for Jordan.

Rumours have circulated on Capitol Hill that some who backed Jordan in the first ballot could switch sides if another vote is held. We'll have to wait and see.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

There's an odd feeling of uncertainty in the halls of the Capitol right now, a few hours after Jim Jordan's initial bid to become House Speaker failed.

Our sources tell us that a second vote is expected later today. But, for the moment, we don't know when.

I just stepped out of a press area on the third floor of the Capitol. Inside, journalists are packed in like sardines. There's no longer any room for anyone to sit.

Some - myself included - have fled to find somewhere to sit. I'm currently in a second-floor hallway, a few feet away from where US TV reporters are giving live updates about the situation.

A little earlier, there were a few lawmakers in the halls as well, but now they seem to have cleared off to nearby House office buildings or to find lunch or coffee.

Some, presumably, are hearing from Jordan and his staff as he tries to sway the Republicans who voted against him.

While nothing is confirmed, US media are reporting that a spokesperson for Jim Jordan expects another vote today.

The House “needs a speaker as soon as possible”, said Russell Dye, from Jordan's office.

He said to expect another round of voting today.

“It’s time for Republicans to come together,” Dye said.

We'll bring you more information when we have it.

Back in January, 19 Republicans voted against Kevin McCarthy in the first round of balloting to elect a House Speaker.

For McCarthy, it took another 14 ballots, and several days, before the California Republican ultimately prevailed.

In the first round of balloting today, Jim Jordan lost 20 votes from his own party.

His team is going to have to regroup and calm what are sure to be the rattled nerves of his fellow Republicans.

They may be concerned that the current House drama might take much longer than they expected.

Image source, Getty Images

Jim Jordan will certainly need to work to convert "no" voters to backers for his bid to take the House Speakership, but that shouldn't be his only concern.

His team needs to ensure those who voted for him will continue to support him in future ballots.

Those Republican House lawmakers can switch their votes against him just as easily as Jordan's opposition can switch to vote for him.

There are already rumours swirling that some of Jordan's supporters are considering changing their vote, though BBC News has not confirmed this.

If Jordan's final tally on a second ballot is worse than his first, however, Republicans may have to find another candidate – again.

Stick with us.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

One of the Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan, Mario Diaz-Balart, just told us he does not feel "pressure at all" to change his vote. Speaking to reporters, Diaz-Balart also said that any effort to "intimidate" him would end "any possibility" of negotiations. "If that's the case, that's where you lose me," he said. He nodded his head when asked if he planned to stick with his vote against Jordan.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol Hill

I just caught up with one of Jim Jordan's supporters, Byron Donalds, in the halls of the Capital. Speaking to reporters, Donalds said he was surprised at how many people voted against Jordan. When asked if another round of votes can be expected today, he answered simply: "I'm not sure". "Jim should not drop out," he said, adding that Jordan will now reach out to those who voted against him. Donalds, for his part, seems confident that Jordan will eventually get the votes.

Image source, Getty Images

A total of 20 Republicans voted for someone other than Jim Jordan for Speaker.

• Don Bacon voted for Kevin McCarthy
• Ken Buck voted for Tom Emmer
• Lori Chavez-DeRemer voted for McCarthy
• Anthony D'Esposito voted for Lee Zeldin
• Mario Diaz-Balart voted for Steve Scalise
• Jake Ellzey voted for Mike Garcia
• Andrew Garbarino voted for Zeldin
• Carlos A. Giménez voted for McCarthy
• Tony Gonzalez voted for Scalise
• Kay Granger voted for Scalise
• John James voted for Tom Cole
• Mike Kelly voted for Scalise
• Jen Kiggans voted for McCarthy
• Nick LaLota voted for Zeldin
• Doug LaMalfa voted for McCarthy
• Mike Lawler voted for McCarthy
• John Rutherford voted for Scalise
• Mike Simpson voted for Scalise
• Victoria Spartz voted for Thomas Massie
• Steve Womack voted for Scalise

Lots of 'yelling and screaming' expected before next votepublished at 19:14 British Summer Time 17 October 2023

19:14 BST 17 October 2023

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

It’s back to the drawing board for Jim Jordan and his team.

Their decision to hold a public vote for speaker today even though they were not certain they had the votes may have turned out to be a damaging miscalculation. Their goal was to flush the opposition out, expose them as just a handful of holdouts and put them on the record where they would wilt under the spotlight.

Instead, the vote showed that there is substantive opposition to Jordan - more, even, than those who initially opposed Kevin McCarthy during his speaker bid at the beginning of the year.

There is strength in numbers. With 20 Republicans opting for someone other than Jim Jordan as speaker, it will be easier for them to resist what is sure to be the intense pressure that is coming their way, both from their fellow House Republicans and from the conservative grassroots.

So what happens next?

“There’s going to be a lot of yelling and screaming,” Ken Buck, one of the 20 Republicans who opposed Jordan, told CNN.

He predicted that while there may be some shifts in Jordan’s support ahead, further rounds of balloting will produce a similar level of opposition.

If that turns out to be the case – and Buck says he remains firmly opposed to Jordan – Republicans may start looking for another speaker candidate or, perhaps, giving serious consideration to electing a temporary speaker to handle pressing legislation until the current Republican leadership drama can be resolved.

It is clear that Republicans remain as divided as ever after Jim Jordan fell far short in the first floor vote for House Speaker.

Twenty Republican members of the House voted against Jordan's candidacy, electing to support a number of others who weren't even nominated.

• Republican dissenters voted for numerous other individuals, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the previous nominee Steve Scalise and Lee Zeldin – a former Republican congressman from New York who left his post to run for governor of his state.
• Democrats remained unified behind their nominee: Hakeem Jeffries of New York. He earned more votes than Jordan, but Democrats are the minority party so it was not enough.

Republicans will now need to regroup with their members to see whether they can get Jordan's candidacy back on track – or try to find another option.

Jim Jordan and his allies will need to do a lot of convincing to get the Republican party fully behind him.

With the House in recess, Jordan will try to change some minds of those who voted against him.

They could decide to vote again immediately, if Jordan believes he has the numbers.

But it could also be a drawn-out process.

It took McCarthy 15 ballots to get the votes last time around.

Stick with us.

The official count has been announced. Jim Jordan did not get enough votes to be elected Speaker.

The House is now in recess.