After casting two votes in favor of Congressman Jim Jordan for speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick said Thursday he will no longer back Jordan’s bid.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fitzpatrick will instead sponsor a proposal to grant Congressman Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican, more authority as a temporary speaker.
Earlier this week, Fitzpatrick supported Jordan in two voting rounds, but Jordan failed to secure enough votes within his party to claim the vacant speakership previously held by Congressman Kevin McCarthy.
Requests for comment from Fitzpatrick’s office went unanswered.
“We must elect a speaker and reopen our government ASAP,” Fitzpatrick said earlier this week.
Democratic groups criticized Fitzpatrick for his backing of Jordan.
Ashley Ehasz, a Democratic candidate for the First Congressional District, accused Fitzpatrick of bowing to the segment of the GOP that supports former President Donald Trump with his Jordan endorsement.
The Congressional Integrity Project political advocacy group began airing ads this week highlighting Jordan’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and links to the January 6 attack in Fitzpatrick’s district.
Jordan, known on Capitol Hill for his pointed critiques of Democrats, has drawn attention for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results following former President Donald Trump’s loss. Allegations have also arisen suggesting Jordan neglected concerns about sexual abuse within Ohio State’s wrestling program.
In the lead-up to the votes on speaker, local conservative Facebook groups rallied members to call Fitzpatrick’s office, advocating for Jordan, a frequent guest on conservative media outlets.
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