Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) said Thursday he and his family received death threats after reversing his support for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as Speaker, making him the third lawmaker to make such claims.
“Shortly after casting that [second] vote, my family and I started receiving death-threats. That is simply unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated,” Ferguson wrote in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ferguson was one of four Republicans to switch their vote against Jordan on Wednesday during the second ballot, after voting for him on the first. He instead cast a vote for Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) — who withdrew from the race when it became clear he wouldn’t be able to get enough votes to be elected.
“Following the first vote, I had genuine concerns about the threatening tactics and pressure campaigns Jordan and his allies were using to leverage members of their votes,” Ferguson said. “I discussed this directly with Jim and planned to support him on the second ballot.”
“When the pressure campaigns and attacks on fellow members ramped up, it became clear to me that the House Republican conference does not need a bully as the Speaker,” he added.
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) similarly said Wednesday she received death threats and a “barrage of threatening calls,” after she reversed her support from Jordan and voted for Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) on the second ballot.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) also confirmed his wife received anonymous texts and calls in the days leading up to the Speaker vote that urged her to tell Bacon to vote for Jordan, whom he continues to oppose.
Jordan weighed in on the reported threats on Wednesday night, writing on X, “No American should accost another for their beliefs.”
“We condemn all threats against our colleagues and it is imperative that we come together,” he added. “Stop. It’s abhorrent.”
The Ohio Republican fell short of the 217 votes needed to take the Speaker’s gavel in the second ballot Wednesday, after 22 Republicans sided against him.
The Ohio Republican received 199 votes — one less than on the first ballot — while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) received 212 votes. The remaining votes were sprinkled among other candidates — including McCarthy, Scalise and former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
Jordan announced Thursday he will back a resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) while he tries to shore up the votes to back his Speaker bid.
Several Republicans have already voiced their opposition to such a plan, prompting doubts that a resolution would even pass if brought to the House floor.