The House of Representatives has endured nearly 17 full days without a leader, but on Friday there appeared to be no end to the crisis in sight as Jim Jordan, Trump’s former president as Ohio speaker, failed in his third attempt to secure the gavel. set.

Jordan argued at a news conference Friday morning that he was offering Republicans the best chance to break the impasse caused by the impeachment of Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

as a speaker on Oct. 1 3. But Jordan’s desperate attempt to appease his fellow Republicans failed as opposition to him grew

. McCarthy, the most outspoken speaker, nominated Jordan in a speech. His attempts to rally his party failed. Twenty-five

Republicans voted against Jordan on Friday morning, down from the 22 Republicans who opposed his candidacy on Wednesday. Twenty Republicans voted against Jordan on Tuesday in his first attempt to secure the presidency.

Jordan’s vote total of 194 was a new modern low for a majority party’s candidate for president. Despite the grim reality, Jordan expressed optimism after the vote, telling reporters: “I think those we lost can come back.”

House Democrats once again voted unanimously for their candidate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

who received 210 votes. But the 25 members who voted for other candidates meant that neither could secure a majority in the House of Representatives.

Republicans’ frustration rose Thursday after a Jordan-backed effort to oust interim chairman pro tempore Rep. Patrick McHenry (RN.C.) the power to advance legislation evaporated before a floor vote.

We made the pitch to the members of the [McHenry] resolution as a way to lower temperatures and get back to work, Jordan told reporters Thursday. We decided this wasn’t the place we were going. I am still running for speaker and I plan to go to the floor to get the votes and win this race.

The House of Representatives has been without a leader since eight Republicans, led by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, along with all Democrats in the House of Representatives, impeached McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) on October 1. 3. The vote has roiled the House of Representatives for weeks as Republicans, who control the majority, have argued over who should replace the Californian.

McHenry has led the House mainly in a ceremonial role since McCarthy’s impeachment, using his position as speaker pro tempore to preside over Jordan’s three failed speaker votes.

House Democrats are likely to support legislation that would empower McHenry under certain conditions. Jeffries has said he supports the chamber functioning again

but he made it clear that his party will never give Jordan back. “Jim Jordan is a clear and present danger to our democracy,” Jeffries told reporters ahead of the vote. “We say to our traditional Republican colleagues, good men and women on the other side of the aisle: end the attachment to extremist Jim Jordan and join Democrats in finding a bipartisan path forward.”

At a press conference ahead of the third vote, Jordan said his defeats have left him unaffected, and suggested he would continue even if he lost again. McCarthy needed 15 votes, a modern record, to secure the speakership in January.

However, McCarthy never got it

as little support as Jordan

did on Friday.