A number of House Republicans have entered the race for speaker following the withdrawal of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). Jordan did not receive the needed 217 votes in three floor votes, leading to the potential for one of the new candidates to receive the position.
As of Sunday, nine different Republicans threw their hat into the ring for consideration for the position of House Speaker. The House GOP is expected to discuss the matter further in a closed meeting on Monday. Furthermore, there is a planned secret ballot regarding who to nominate set for Tuesday.
Included in the list of candidates is Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OH), who currently chairs the GOP’s study committee. He said that the party “must unify and do it fast.”
“We need a different type of leader who has a proven track record of success, which is why I’m running for Speaker of the House,” Hern said.
In addition, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), also entered into the race. The retired Marine Corps general said that he was seeking the position following encouragement from “across the spectrum” of the House GOP.
“I don’t leave the battlefield in the middle of the fight, and I make sure that everybody on my left and right on that battlefield is coalesced as a team to win the fight,” he said.
Bergman cited 40 years of experience, including in the Marine Corps and in Congress.
A candidate who received particular attention is Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a close ally of former President Donald Trump.
He said that should he be selected, “the House will lead the charge to advance a simple objective: put the American people first, keep them safe and make their lives easier.”
I am running to become the next Speaker of the House.
We need to:
🇺🇸 Secure our border
🇺🇸 Fund our government responsibly
🇺🇸 Advance our conservative agenda
🇺🇸 Expand our Republican majorityLet’s get to work! pic.twitter.com/a7jmeDYzvV
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) October 21, 2023
The candidates are also joined by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA). Scott had briefly been part of the speaker’s race previously, challenging Jordan in a previous round.
It is still unclear which candidate curries the most favor from within the House GOP caucus, or whether or not any of the current candidates could gain 217 total votes from colleagues.
