McCarthy backs Jim Jordan for speaker amid Austin Scott challenge

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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is backing Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, for his replacement behind the gavel.

McCarthy's endorsement of Jordan comes after Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., announced his candidacy for the speakership.

"I'm going to support Jim Jordan," McCarthy told reporters on Friday.

GEORGIA GOP REP AUSTIN SCOTT ANNOUNCES BID FOR HOUSE SPEAKER

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is backing Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan for his replacement behind the gavel. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

As for the matchup between Scott and Jordan, McCarthy said he thinks the Ohio Republican has "got the votes."

"But we'll see… I think everybody has the right to run," McCarthy said. "I think Jim's better prepared in the process to be speaker."

Scott, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, announced his candidacy for the lower chamber's speaker's gavel on Friday.

The Georgia lawmaker's speaker candidacy came after Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., the original nominee for the gavel, pulled out of the race Thursday night.

McCarthy's endorsement of Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, comes after Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., announced his candidacy for the speakership. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Scalise was voted as the House GOP's speaker nominee earlier this week to replace McCarthy, who was ousted via a motion to vacate last week.

"I have filed to be Speaker of the House," Austin tweeted Friday. "We are in Washington to legislate, and I want to lead a House that functions in the best interest of the American people."

Scott called Jordan his "good friend" while talking to reporters and that he doesn't "necessarily want to be the speaker of the House."

"I want a House that functions correct, but the House is not functioning correctly right now," Scott said.

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was voted as the House GOP's speaker nominee earlier this week to replace McCarthy, but he dropped out Thursday evening. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Georgia Republican said if the GOP is "going to be the majority party" they "need to act like it."

Scott said Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., the chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, would be nominating him for speaker.

The Georgia Republican said he also cares more about the GOP conference and he and his colleagues doing their jobs than who is the speaker.

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"When I woke up this morning, I had no intention of doing this," Scott said. "It took me a long time to even get to my wife to tell her, ‘Call our friends, be in prayer,' because we haven’t done any preparation or any whipping or anything for this."

"But I believe if we as Republicans are going to be the majority, we have to do the right things the right way," Scott said. "And we're not doing that right now."

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.