Who could succeed Republican Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the US House?

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives began to position themselves on Wednesday to run for speaker, the day after a small group of hardliners succeeded in ousting Kevin McCarthy from the job in a historic first.

Here are some possible candidates:

IN: JIM JORDAN

Representative Jim Jordan, an ally of former President Donald Trump, was nominated by some Republican rebels to be the speaker during the election to the seat in January. He received 20 votes during one round of voting. He had also previously challenged McCarthy in a race for minority leader in 2018.

Jordan, who represents a district in Ohio, is the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, one of the three panels at the center of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. A firebrand, Jordan publicly sparred with Democrats over their investigations into then-President Trump.

The former college wrestler told reporters on Wednesday that he was in the running. In a letter to colleagues, he called for unifying the caucus, writing: "We can focus on the changes that improve the country and unite us in offering real solutions."