UPDATE, 5:40 p.m. EST: House members gathered on Tuesday around 4 p.m. Eastern to conduct a third vote. But, once again, McCarthy failed to secure a victory.
McCarthy lost a vote from former supporter Florida Representative Byron Donalds (R), who decided to join the 19 Republicans voting for Jordan.
After the vote, Donalds posted on Twitter, "The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn't have the votes. I committed my support to him publicly and for two votes on the House Floor. 218 is the number, and currently, no one is there. Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps."
"But these continuous votes aren't working for anyone. When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus," Donalds added. "This will take time, Democracy is messy at times, but we will be ready to govern on behalf of the American people. Debate is healthy."
