What Happened in All 15 Rounds of Voting for the Speaker of the House

After a historic 14 rounds of voting over four days, there is still no speaker of the House. Here’s what you might have missed:

Round 1

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., nominated Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., nominated Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.

The following members of Congress voted for Biggs: Gosar, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Biggs, Bob Good of Virginia, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Eli Crane of Arizona, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana. 

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y.; Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; and Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., voted for Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.

Reps. Michael Cloud of Texas, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Mary Miller of Illinois, Keith Self of Texas, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado cast their votes for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 203 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Biggs – 10 votes
• Donalds – 1 vote
• Jordan – 6 votes
• Banks – 1 vote
• Zeldin – 1 vote

Round 2

Jordan nominated McCarthy; Aguilar nominated Jeffries; and Gaetz nominated Jordan for the speaker of the House position.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 203 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Jordan – 19 votes

Round 3

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., nominated McCarthy; Aguilar nominated Jeffries; and Roy nominated Jordan.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 202 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Jordan – 20 votes

Round 4

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., nominated McCarthy, Aguilar nominated Jeffries; and Roy nominated Donalds.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 201 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Donalds – 20 votes

Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., voted “present.”

Round 5

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, nominated McCarthy; Aguilar nominated Jeffries; and Boebert nominated Donalds.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 201 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Donalds – 20 votes

Spartz voted “present.”

Round 6

Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., nominated McCarthy; Aguilar nominated Jeffries; and Perry nominated Donalds.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 201 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Donalds – 20 votes

Spartz voted “present.”

Round 7

Rep. John James, R-Mich., nominated McCarthy; Aguilar nominated Jeffries; and Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., nominated Donalds.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 201 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Donalds – 19 votes
• Former President Donald Trump – 1 vote

Spartz voted “present.”

Round 8

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., nominated McCarthy; Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., nominated Jeffries; and Biggs nominated Donalds.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 201 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Donalds – 17 votes
• Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Mo. – 2 votes
• Trump – 1 vote

Spartz voted “present.”

Round 9

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, nominated McCarthy; Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., nominated Jeffries; Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., nominated Donalds; and Boebert nominated Hern.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 200 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Donalds – 17 votes
• Hern – 3 votes

Spartz voted “present.”

Round 10

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., nominated McCarthy; Aguilar nominated Jeffries; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., nominated Donalds; and Boebert nominated Hern.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 200 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Donalds – 13 votes
• Hern – 7 votes

Spartz voted “present.”

Round 11

Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., nominated McCarthy; Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., nominated Jeffries; Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., nominated Hern; and Gaetz nominated Trump.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 200 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Hern – 7 votes
• Donalds – 12 votes
• Trump – 1 vote

Spartz voted “present.”

Round 12

Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., nominated McCarthy, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., nominated Jeffries; Gaetz nominated Jordan; and Boebert nominated Hern. 

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 213 votes
• Jeffries – 211 votes
• Hern – 3 votes
• Jordan – 4 votes

Gosar, Ogles, Brecheen, Clyde, Bishop, Cloud, Luna, Roy, Self, Spartz, Perry, Miller, Norman, and Donalds flipped their votes in favor of McCarthy.

Round 13

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., nominated McCarthy and Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, nominated Jeffries.

Final vote count: 

• McCarthy – 214 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Jordan – 6 votes

Harris flipped his vote in favor of McCarthy.

Round 14

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., nominated McCarthy and Aguilar nominated Jeffries.

Final vote count: 

• McCarthy – 216 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes
• Jordan – 2 votes
• Biggs – 2 votes

Boebert and Gaetz voted “present.”

Round 15

McHenry nominated McCarthy and Aguilar nominated Jeffries.

Final vote count:

• McCarthy – 216 votes
• Jeffries – 212 votes

Biggs, Boebert, Crane, Gaetz, Good, and Rosendale voted “present,” allowing McCarthy to win the majority.

A total of 218 votes is required to win the speakership if the full House is present.

Editor’s note: Article was corrected to reflect Clyburn is a Democrat.

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