The roster is filling up with candidates vying to become the next speaker of the House after the Republican conference dropped Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as their nominee on Friday following three failed voting rounds.
The GOP conference is seeking a third nominee, initially selecting Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who dropped out one day later after it became apparent he did not have enough party support. Jordan then stepped up as speaker-designee but withdrew from the running after failing a vote of confidence during a closed-door meeting Friday after 25 Republicans opposed his bid on the House floor.
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Republicans will now hear from a handful of candidates in a closed-door forum Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by an internal conference vote Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET.
Members have until Sunday to declare speaker candidacies. Here are the Republicans who have announced their intention to seek the position so far.
Austin Scott
Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) is once again making a bid for the speaker’s gavel. The longtime Georgia congressman was elected in 2011, and currently serves on three House committees and multiple subcommittees; vice chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, House Permanent Select Committee, and House Armed Services Committee.
Last week, Scott lost the House nomination to Jordan in a 124-81 vote in a closed-door meeting after throwing his name in the race in a last-minute bid.
“If we are going to be the majority we need to act like the majority, and that means we have to do the right things the right way,” Scott wrote in his announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I supported and voted for Rep. Jim Jordan to be Speaker of the House. Now that he has withdrawn I am running again to be the Speaker of the House.”
Mike Johnson
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) began making calls to gain support for his speakership run, according to his team. Johnson, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, announced his candidacy on Saturday, outlining a list of key priorities in his letter.
“I have been humbled to have so many Members from across our Conference reach out to encourage me to seek the nomination for Speaker,” Johnson’s letter reads. “Until yesterday, I have never contacted one person about this, and I have never before aspired to the office. However, after much prayer and deliberations, I am stepping forward now.”
Johnson included seven “key priorities” he would focus on if elected to the House’s top job: Restore trust, advance a comprehensive policy agenda, promote individual members, engage members, effectively message, build and utilize external coalitions, and develop and grow our majority.
Tom Emmer
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) launched his run for the gavel on Saturday and is currently the highest-ranking candidate in the race.
Emmer secured the No. 3 spot in House leadership in 2022. He served two full terms as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Emmer wrote on X, linking his official letter, “The American people elected us to deliver on a conservative agenda that secures our border, stops reckless spending, and holds Joe Biden accountable. We cannot afford to fail them. I’m running for Speaker of the House to bring our conference together and get back to work.”
Kevin Hern
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, announced his candidacy on Friday after voting for Jordan.
“We just had two Speaker Designates go down,” Hern said in a statement Friday. “We must unify and do it fast. I’ve spoken to every member of the conference over the last few weeks. 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.”
The Oklahoma congressman has been working for weeks to gain support from his colleagues. Hern previously considered a speakership bid against Scalise but ultimately decided against the run.
Jack Bergman
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general, who is the highest-ranking combat veteran ever elected to Congress, said on Friday he would make a run for speaker.
“My hat is in the ring, and I feel confident I can win the votes where others could not,” Bergman said in a statement. “The regular functioning of the federal government can’t wait on useless infighting and arguments.”
Bergman has already secured endorsements from five Michigan Republicans: Reps. John James, Tim Walberg, Lisa McClain and John Moolenaar.
Byron Donalds
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) is a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus who serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and Committee on Financial Services, announced his run on Friday.
Donalds, who was floated as a speaker option in January against Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), received multiple votes in the latest rounds.
“Look, let’s be very clear, our House right now, we’re having some issues. We can repair those issues but it requires us to be unified,” Donalds said on Newsmax. “Number one, go back to business and secure our border, actually fund this government responsibly, and then continue to lay out that conservative vision for the people who sent us here. That job can still be done. I believe I am the leader that can get that job done.”
Pete Sessions
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) declared he would be throwing his hat in the race shortly after the third failed round of voting on Friday.
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His office released a statement highlighting his leadership rules as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2009 to 2012 and chairman of the House Committee on Rules from 2013 to 2019.
“Congressman Sessions believes he can forge a positive path as a conservative leader who can unite the conference. During his congressional career, he has played a vital role in the Republican Party, in Texas and nationally, including a decade in party leadership,” the statement reads.
