Steve Scalise becomes Republican nominee for speaker beating Trump ally Jim Jordan 113-99 in race to replace Kevin McCarthy

No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise won the GOP nomination for speaker, setting the stage for a floor vote to make the election official.

Republicans held a secret closed-door vote Wednesday morning after days of drama and infighting within the GOP.

Scalise beat House Judiciary Chairman and Trump ally Jim Jordan 113-99.

But it’s still a steep road ahead for Scalise to make the promotion official — he needs to get at least 217 votes on the House floor. It is not clear when a vote will be scheduled, but it could happen as soon as this afternoon.

DailyMail.com has learned that Reps. Max Miller and Lauren Boebert still plan to vote Jordan on the floor, which could drag out the process if others join them. However, it remains to be seen if Jordan ends up falling out of the race altogether.

Last week, eight Republicans voted with Democrats to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, leaving a power vacuum on Capitol Hill.

Days later, Reps. Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise threw their hats in the ring for the top leadership position.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the fiery Florida congressman who cast the vote to oust McCarthy, said Wednesday he would vote for Scalise, calling him an “upgrade” from McCarthy.

Scalise, as a current member of the GOP leadership team, has seemingly gained more traction among establishment Republicans, while Jordan has remained popular among the conference’s right wing.

The secret ballot on the speaker nominee came after Republicans voted to reject a plan to increase the number of votes needed to select a speaker nominee to 217.

Scalise only needed a majority to get the nomination before the full floor vote.

Rep. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., is in the running to replace Scalise as majority leader. He said there could be a floor vote for speaker today at 3:00 p.m.