Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan's quest to become speaker of the House fizzled out last week despite many conservatives believing that his candidacy would be successful.

According to conservative activist and Texas Republican congressional candidate John O'Shea, the evidence suggests that one person in particular is to blame. 

Candidate says Kay Granger is "what is wrong with the country"

During an interview with "Breitbart News Saturday," O'Shea told host Matthew Boyle that House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger spearheaded opposition to Jordan.

The GOP candidate is mounting a primary challenge to Granger in Texas' 12th Congressional District, and he called her the anti-Jordan camp's "matriarch."

"We have a ruling class of political professional politicians and this oligarchy does not care about their constituents," O'Shea complained.

"What does Kay do? Does she listen to her constituents, no," he asserted, adding that the congresswoman is an example of "what is wrong with the country.”

Rep. Jim Banks: Granger should be booted as chair of  Appropriations Committee

"She goes her own path as the chairwoman of appropriations, never meeting a spending bill that she does not love. She decided to be the matriarch of the opposition," he continued.

Breitbart noted that O'Shea was not alone in calling out Granger, as Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks took aim at the 80-year-old lawmaker late last week on the issue of fiscal discipline.

"Kay Granger doesn’t deserve to be chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee," the Indiana representative told Breitbart.

"She’s blocking the most fiscally conservative choice we’ve ever had to be the Speaker of the House. And she should lose her gavel for that," he said.

Granger favors making Rep. Patrick McHenry speaker

He described Granger as leading a clique of "big spending Republicans who are responsible for going along with the Democrats to put us in the place where we are — $2 trillion deficits, $33 trillion national debt."

"She’s leading a bunch of members on her committee to block the conservative and the majority’s choice to be the Speaker of the House," he stressed.

"It is totally shameful. And I hope every Republican voter in their districts wake up and vote against them in their primaries," Banks insisted.

Breitbart reported that for her part, Granger supports working with Democrats to install Republican Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry as House speaker, a move which Banks is opposed to.

We need to get back to work for the American people. I agree with @CongMikeSimpson. https://t.co/gFEA8wCmSn

— Rep. Kay Granger (@RepKayGranger) October 18, 2023