U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, Republican of Texas this afternoon put the name of fellow Republican, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, into nomination for the speakership of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“They want a new face, vision and leadership and I believe that new face, vision and leadership is Byron Donalds,” said Roy, who had previously backed U.S. Rep. Jim Jordans for speaker.

His initial endorsement proved complicated, because – as U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) noted – Jordan didn’t seek the speakership.

Jordan backed embattled U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) for the job.

So now the rightward segment of the House Republican caucus appeared on course to back another Donald J. Trump-backed candidate Donalds – not Jordan – as an alternative to McCarthy.

U.S. Rep.-elect Tom Kean, Jr. and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, both Republican backers of McCarthy, sat behind Roy and listened as the Texan continued to put another name in contention.

Both New Jerseyans rose and applauded when Roy paraphrased Martin Luther King, Jr. in invoking judgement of a person’s character over skin in offering the candidacy of Donalds, who is black.

McCarthy could not afford to lose four votes, and on the fourth ballot now, Donalds (pictured, below, with Trump) mustered seven votes early, which appeared to put McCarthy again on the path of failure for a fourth consecutive time.

The final vote on the fourth ballot as McCarthy lost another vote:

McCarthy 201

Jeffries 212

Donalds 20

Present 1

Donalds had voted for McCarthy on the first two ballots then changed gears and backed Jordan on the third ballot, placing McCarthy’s ambition for speaker another vote out of reach.