Jim Jordan ally predicts he'll get even fewer votes in second speaker ballot

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) came up well short in his bid to become speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, and now one of his top allies is predicting things will get even worse for him on Wednesday.

Writing on Twitter, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), who along with Jordan was a key figure in the attempt to keep former President Donald Trump illegally in power after losing the 2020 election, said that "Jordan will likely have FEWER votes today than yesterday — as I expected."

Perry insisted that this did not mean Jordan's candidacy is doomed, however.

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"This is the fight -- which Jim Jordan represents -- to end the status quo, and it ain’t easy," he concluded. "Stay strong and keep praying."

Many indications at the moment are that it will take more than prayers to save Jordan's speakership prospects, as many members representing swing districts have expressed reservations about backing the Ohio Republican due to fears that he will drag down their chances of winning reelection.

An internal Democratic strategy memo that leaked this week outlined how the party plans to make life miserable for Republicans if they made Jordan their speaker.

Among other things, the memo highlighted what it called examples of Jordan's "extremism" that the party will use to hammer away at vulnerable Republicans, including his efforts to illegally keep former President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election, his scorched-earth opposition tactics that have led to multiple government shutdowns, and his support for a nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.