House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan will cancel the third vote to elect a speaker in the House of Representatives, and will back a move to empower House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry until January, Fox News Digital has confirmed.

Jordan lost support on the second ballot yesterday — scoring only 199 votes yesterday after getting only 200 in the first ballot.

He needed 217 to become speaker, and could afford few Republican defections. Fox News was told he was expected to lose further votes in a ballot on Thursday.

Jordan’s team had said they intended to keep going with a third vote, with supporters optimistic that he could gain support. However, there had also been other potential candidates emerging from the wings amid the stalemate.

Republicans had held a closed-door meeting at 11am amid escalating tensions within the House GOP, with several of Jordan’s critics stating that they had gotten credible threats because they did not vote for him for speaker. Jordan has repeatedly condemned those threats.

(AP)