Freedom Caucus chairman: Jim Jordan being encouraged to run for speaker

Jordan -- who was known as a key adversary to former House Speaker John Boehner and a constant rabble rouser in the House -- would have a long-shot to becoming the speaker. But, the movement reveals just how long of a race lies ahead of the Republican conference. House Speaker Paul Ryan announced his retirement Wednesday, but has said he plans to remain speaker until January 2019.

A House member, asking for anonymity, told CNN that Jordan informed him that he was considering running for the top job.

The news of Jordan's interest was first reported by The Washington Post, which reported that Jordan is strongly considering a run. Jordan's office didn't immediately respond to CNN request for comment.

The House Freedom Caucus is viewed among rank-and-file members as a trouble-causing faction within the House GOP. The chances of Jordan running and successfully winning would be slim, but if he were to enter the race it could make the job tougher for someone else to unite the conference and win the votes.

So far, the often-cited candidates for the job continue to be the No. 2 House Republican, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and the No. 3 House Republican, Majority Whip Steve Scalise, but the effort to encourage Jordan reveals that a bitter leadership race may yet still unfold within the fractured GOP conference. Scalise has said he does not plan to run directly against McCarthy, but a leadership source told CNN earlier in the week that Scalise plans to be ready in case McCarthy declines to run for the job or struggles to find the votes as he did in 2015.