Jim Jordan races to try to change minds of holdouts in bid for House speaker

Rightwing speakership contender says he thinks he has 217 votes needed to win as colleague Mike Johnson waits in the wings

The rightwing congressman Jim Jordan is seeking to shore up support for his bid to succeed Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, with plans to appear on the House floor early this week to try to sway Republican members of Congress who signaled in a secret ballot vote they will not support his bid.

Jordan, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, claimed in a brief interview with Politico he believes he will get the 217 votes required to secure the speakership in a vote now set to happen on Tuesday at noon.