Scalise announces he is dropping out of the race for House Speaker

(CNN) –House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced he was dropping out of the speaker’s race Thursday after House Republicans failed to coalesce behind him in the aftermath of Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster.

“I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for the speaker designee,” the Louisiana Republican told reporters.

The swift downfall of Scalise’s speakership nomination came just a day after the GOP conference voted for him over Rep. Jim Jordan, 113-99. The withdrawal was as shocking as it was predictable, after a band of Republicans almost immediately blocked his path and said there was no way they would vote for Scalise as speaker. The move deepens the House GOP leadership crisis, with still no indication there is any viable candidate who could secure the 217 votes needed to win the gavel.

Many GOP lawmakers quickly urged the conference to support Jordan for speaker. But Republicans, divided and angry over their leadership fiasco, are not unified behind the Ohio Republican.

Several Republicans said they expected opposition to grow for a variety of reasons. One said Jordan will “never” become speaker.

Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri told CNN Jordan is a non-starter for her. Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia stood up in the GOP conference meeting and said he would not support Jordan, a source familiar told CNN.

And Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said he’s worried about “rewarding bad behavior” after Jordan supporters helped tank Scalise’s bid.

“I think there’s enough people that would see what has happened and transpired over the last 40 hours to not support him that we’re going to have the same problem with Jordan that we had with Scalise,” said Rep. Mike Garcia of California, who said he is backing Jordan. “I think it’s a math problem, frankly.”

Jordan or any other candidate needs to win a majority of the entire House to be elected speaker, which is 217 votes, due to two vacancies. That means a GOP speaker nominee can only afford to lose four GOP Republican votes if there are no absences. Democrats are expected to uniformly back House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

House Republicans will hold another closed-door meeting Friday morning to regroup and discuss their path forward.

Jordan declined to say if he would launch a bid for the speakership Thursday evening. “Any type of announcement about what may or may not happen is best done tomorrow,” he told reporters following the conference meeting.