One day after Kevin McCarthy’s removal as House Speaker through a motion to vacate, GOP caucus members are already throwing their support behind candidates for the job.

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., became the first member representing the St. Louis region to back a contender Wednesday when she said she’ll support U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican and currently Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

“Chairman @Jim_Jordan will be a strong, conservative Speaker who can unite & lead the House through the budget battle and Biden impeachment,” Miller said in a social media statement.

Both Miller and Jordan are members of the House Freedom Caucus. Miller was one of several members who delayed McCarthy’s confirmation as House Speaker back in January and on one of those ballots she voted for Jordan. She said Tuesday that she opposed the motion to vacate because she opposed a coalition approach that might force a power-sharing arrangement with Democrats.

Spectrum News talked to Jordan earlier Wednesday about his pursuit of the job.


House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has already announced his candidacy, while Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern is said to be considering it. 

The change in the House comes just days after Congress averted a federal government shutdown with a continuing resolution that funds the government until mid-November. In addition, there are other pieces of legislation waiting, including the Farm Bill, FAA reauthorization and the National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate version of the NDAA includes language that would compensate St. Louis area victims of nuclear radiation.

“However this plays out in the House, I’m committed in the Senate to making sure that we get the work done,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. told Spectrum News Wednesday.

“They’re going to have to figure out the situation with the new Speaker over there, but all this work still remains for us and we need to get to it.”