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 Wednesday -- scoring only 199 votes 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 LOSES HIS SECOND SPEAKER VOTE AS NEARLY TWO DOZEN REPUBLICANS OPPOSE HIM

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Jordan will not hold a third vote as speaker and will get behind the plan to temporarily empower McHenry until January 3. 

The source said Jordan will remain the House GOP nominee for speaker and will continue to run and attempt to shore up votes until then — a move sources had signaled would be in the best interest of Jordan's candidacy Wednesday. 

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 11 a.m. 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.

JORDAN PLEDGES TO 'BRING ALL REPUBLICANS TOGETHER' IN LETTER TO HOUSE GOP ON EVE OF SPEAKER ELECTION

It became clear this week that some Republican lawmakers were looking for alternate paths, including how to empower McHenry, who is currently serving as interim speaker. 

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Pa., chairman of the Republican Governance Group, has been calling to flesh out McHenry’s role in leadership, particularly in light of the urgency for Congress to approve aid for Israel as it fights a war with terror group Hamas.

The idea also gained steam among lawmakers who voted against Jordan. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who has said he will keep voting for McCarthy on the House floor, told Fox News Digital that he was supportive of the effort.

The discussions come as the House of Representatives wades in unchartered territory following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's ouster earlier this month. McCarthy’s removal was the first in the chamber’s history — and it’s not clear that McHenry’s current powers extend beyond just overseeing the election of the next speaker.

McHenry had said that he had no interest in the role of speaker, but amid heightened tensions in the GOP conference, he has emerged as a consensus candidate that at least some Democrats could agree to.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said McHenry was "respected on our side of the aisle" when asked on Tuesday evening if he could be a viable candidate. Jeffries also said there were "informal conversations" about making a deal on a GOP speaker that he hoped would "accelerate" after Jordan’s rocky performance.

JORDAN PLEDGES TO 'BRING ALL REPUBLICANS TOGETHER' IN LETTER TO HOUSE GOP ON EVE OF SPEAKER ELECTION

On Tuesday night, former Republican Speakers Newt Gingrich and John Boehner both endorsed the idea of empowering McHenry.

Still, sources told Fox News Digital that Jordan has a path to the speakership, with some suggesting he just simply may need more time to garner support. That source said a temporary solution could help Jordan do just that. 

EFFORT TO EMPOWER INTERIM SPEAKER MCHENRY GAINS STEAM AS JORDAN MOMENTUM STALLS

The uncertainty in the House comes after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., earlier this month, introduced a motion to vacate against then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. When all Democrats and eight Republicans voted together, McCarthy was ousted from his post — a first in United States history. 

Potential challengers are waiting in the wings for Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to step away from the race for House speaker after he failed to clinch a majority of support in back-to-back House-wide votes.

Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., a retired Marine Corps general, is "prepared" to step into the race if Jordan falters, his spokesman told Fox News Digital. Bergman had supported Jordan throughout his run for speaker.

"Following the second round of voting, the General was approached by colleagues and has had conversations about a possible Speaker run — it’s becoming clear Rep. Jordan’s path is narrowing by the hour," the spokesman said.

"We cannot go another day without a Speaker. He simply doesn’t have the votes — we need to have a frank discussion as a conference about a path forward. If as a conference we see he can’t get the necessary votes to become Speaker, General Bergman is prepared to step up."

EFFORT TO EMPOWER INTERIM SPEAKER MCHENRY GAINS STEAM AS JORDAN MOMENTUM STALLS

Bergman is seeking to cast himself as a stable force to lead the House until the new term begins in 2025.

"The General isn’t seeking to climb the ladder, only steady it in a time of chaos — and would only seek to be Speaker for the remainder of the 118th Congress," his spokesman said. "Rep. Bergman served our Nation for 40 years in the United States Marine Corps — retiring as a Lt. General. He knows how to put others first to accomplish the task at hand."

Meanwhile, a source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington’s name "keeps popping up as an alternative in conversations with holdouts unhappy with Jordan."

JORDAN LOSES HIS SECOND SPEAKER VOTE AS NEARLY TWO DOZEN REPUBLICANS OPPOSE HIM

Arrington, R-Texas, would be an attractive candidate for establishment Republicans due to his experiences working under former President George W. Bush’s administration, the source said, while his recently produced budget framework to slash spending could be appealing to hardline conservatives.

A different source familiar with Arrington's plans said, "We really are working to get Jordan to 217, and we are standing by our Conference nominee. Getting this done and getting back to doing the People’s work is what we’re laser-focused on right now."

The first source also mentioned Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., as "another alternative waiting in the wings." Hern had toyed with the idea of running for speaker before stepping back from the race over concerns a three-way competition could fracture the House GOP.

Other reports have also suggested Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., vice chair of the House GOP conference, as a possible candidate. A third source close to discussions acknowledged hearing "whispers" about Johnson.

HOUSE GOP SELECTS JORDAN AS SPEAKER CANDIDATE, TEEING UP HOUSE-WIDE VOTE

A moderate Republican lawmaker even floated Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who has emerged this year as a top liaison between GOP leadership and the hardline-right House Freedom Caucus. 

"Conservatives want Jim Jordan. But Jim Jordan isn't going to get the job done and doesn't have our support. Chip Roy would be a different story. He's principled," the lawmaker told Fox News Digital.

Hern and Johnson’s offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

Jordan won 199 votes in his second try at the speaker’s gavel on Wednesday, after winning 200 the previous day. 

His office has indicated that he will go through another vote on Thursday, but it’s likely to be the final bellwether on whether Jordan’s candidacy still has viability.