Popular GOP Representative Byron Donalds Is First Republican to Change His Vote for Speaker from Kevin McCarthy to Jim Jordan

Meet the first GOP Representative to change his vote for Speaker yesterday from Kevin McCarthy to Jim Jordan – Representative Byron Donalds from Florida.

Rep. Donalds has shined every time he’s had a chance and yesterday was no exception. After voting for Rep. Kevin McCarthy for Speaker two times, Donalds realized that McCarthy was not going to win the Speakership and changed his vote to Jim Jordan for Speaker.

In the third round of voting, Jordan gained a vote from 19 to 20. This was the first actual move for a Speaker other than Kevin McCarthy. Nineteen GOP representatives appear steadfast in not wanting McCarthy for Speaker and did not change their votes for McCarthy

Rep.-elect Byron Donalds, R-Fla., set the House abuzz on Tuesday when he switched his vote for House speaker from embattled Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio – as McCarthy struggles to meet the threshold to gain the gavel.

Donalds had supported McCarthy for the first two votes, which both resulted in no candidate reaching the necessary 218 votes after 19 Republicans defected — the first time in nearly a century that additional votes were needed for a majority’s nominee.

We’ve noticed Donalds before. He destroyed a far-left nutter in a House Committee in October 2021.

After the 2022 Election Donalds announced he was running for House leadership as GOP Conference Chair

In the first round of voting yesterday, Donalds actually received a vote for Speaker. In the second vote, all 19 of those who voted against McCarthy backed Jim Jordan. In the third vote, Donalds joined them making it 20 votes for Jordan.

Good on the Reps who had the courage to vote for America instead of McCarthy.

We will see what happens today. One thing we can be sure of is there was a lot of potential deal-making last night to win the Speakership.