Hardliner Jim Jordan Might Run For House Speaker

The Washington Post reports:

Rep. Jim Jordan, a prominent and polarizing conservative leader, is strongly considering a run for House speaker in a bid that could upend the race to succeed Paul D. Ryan. Two Republican lawmakers said they had spoken with Jordan (R-Ohio) since Ryan announced his retirement Wednesday, and both said that they got the impression that Jordan would enter the race to lead the House GOP.

Jordan, 54, is a former champion college wrestler who co-founded the House Freedom Caucus, a hard-line faction of about three dozen conservative lawmakers that could play a kingmaker role in any leadership race to come. Its members have been highly critical of the GOP leadership, especially after last month’s vote to pass a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill.

Should Jordan enter the leadership derby, it would immediately scramble a race that till now was shaping up to be a duel between House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.).

Whoever gets the job, it seems increasingly unlikely that he’d still be holding the gavel after January. Fingers crossed and all that.