House Republicans will meet Tuesday morning to pick a new speaker nominee from a crowded field, though it remains unclear whether any candidate can lock down the 217 votes needed to ultimately win the gavel.
The vote to pick a nominee will take place behind closed doors via secret ballot. Eight Republicans are in the running after Rep. Jim Jordan was pushed out of the race following three failed floor votes. Pressure is intensifying on House Republicans three weeks after the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which has left the House in a state of paralysis.
With multiple candidates in the running, members will cast a successive series of secret ballots and the candidate who garners the fewest number of votes in each round will be dropped from the running. The winning candidate will need a majority of the conference behind them.
Notably, however, winning a majority of the conference is a lower bar to clear than what’s needed to win the gavel on the floor. That requires a majority of the full chamber. Given the intense divisions within the conference and the GOP’s narrow majority, whoever emerges as the nominee will face tough vote math ahead.
Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who serves as majority whip, is considered the front-runner in the race. McCarthy is backing Emmer, delivering an early boost to his candidacy. But the Minnesota Republican, who voted to certify the 2020 election, could face an uphill battle, as some allies of former President Donald Trump have been critical of his candidacy. Despite a cordial phone call with the former president over the weekend, Trump reposted attacks against the House GOP whip on Truth Social Monday night.
Leaving a GOP conference meeting Monday night, Emmer told CNN, “We have a good relationship,” when asked about Trump.
The other candidates are: Reps. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Byron Donalds of Florida, Austin Scott of Georgia, Gary Palmer of Alabama, Jack Bergman of Michigan and Pete Sessions of Texas.
Republicans gathered on Monday for the candidate forum also behind closed doors. Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, who had been in the running, dropped his bid.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas told CNN’s Manu Raju on Monday, “It’s going to be very difficult, but we have to get there,” when asked how concerned he is that no candidate can get 217 votes on the floor.
And GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida warned that if the eventual nominee can’t get to 217 votes on the floor, the conference may have to work with Democrats.
“It’s, it’s not good. Because a lot of people are gonna want to – with a mind set out there, they don’t want to work with Democrats, but it might end up to be a point where that’s the only way,” Buchanan said. “We’ve got to get the government open. People are very angry, upset.”
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