U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks received death threats and a “barrage of threatening calls” after not supporting Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker, the Iowa Republican said Wednesday.
Miller-Meeks, representing Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, was one of three Republicans to support Jordan during Tuesday’s vote, but who opposed him Wednesday. Jordan failed to earn the necessary support from centrist members of his own party in the two votes, continuing the House’s time without a speaker since ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier in October.
On Wednesday, Miller-Meeks voted to support the U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, the Texas Republican who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. In a news release, the Iowa Republican said she chose to support a different Republican for the role when it became “abundantly clear” that Jordan still did not have the 217 votes needed to become speaker.
Since that vote, Miller-Meeks said in a news release she has received “credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls.” Her office is cooperating with authorities who have been notified about the threats, she said.
Jordan, one of the founders of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, received 199 votes in the second round of voting, falling from 200 in the first ballot. The Ohio Republican had the support of Iowa’s four Republican representatives Tuesday, and still had the support of U.S. Reps. Zach Nunn, Ashley Hinson and Randy Feenstra Wednesday.
Miller-Meeks said that she made the choice to switch her support to Granger because of the concerns she had “before any vote,” and the need for a speaker who can “unify the conference.”
“I understand that voting against Rep Jordan is not popular at this time,” Miller-Meeks said in the release. “I respected Jim enough to vote for him, knowing he did not have the votes to be elected. We have had numerous calls to all our offices, and many have urged that I support Jim Jordan and many others urged me to look for a conservative consensus candidate.”
Jordan condemned as “abhorrent” threats against his fellow House members in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Christina Bohannan, an Iowa City Democrat running for the 1st Congressional District seat, criticized Miller-Meeks for supporting Jordan Tuesday. Bohannan, a former state representative, criticized the incumbent for supporting a speaker candidate who has opposed “every farm bill that’s come before him in Congress,” she said, and who supports a national abortion ban.
“Rep. Miller-Meeks’ choice for Speaker yet again shows her true values,” Bohannan said in a statement. “Instead of working together to empower a moderate option that can get things done for Iowa, Miller-Meeks prefers an extremist who is the author of the GOP’s nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest — which she also herself supported.”
In total, 22 House Republicans did not vote for Jordan Wednesday. Granger, who Miller-Meeks supported, cast her vote for Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise. Several other Republicans also supported Scalise, while others backed McCarthy — neither of whom were officially nominated for speaker.
Miller-Meeks said Republicans need to work on choosing a “consensus candidate.”
“Our party needs a consensus candidate so we can get back to the work forwarding appropriations, supporting Israel, and stopping the insane policies of the Biden Administration,” Miller-Meeks said.
This story was published earlier by the Iowa Capital Dispatch, an affiliate of the nonprofit States Newsroom network, which includes the Florida Phoenix.
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