Nine Republicans have announced they will run for speaker, after the party dropped Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as its latest candidate for leadership.
Hours after Republicans voted in a closed-door meeting, lawmakers began campaigning en masse, Mr. Jordan restarted the nomination process after his support waned and he lost a third floor vote to win the speakership. The vote confirmed that the Speaker’s office remains vacant for a third week.
Lawmakers vying for the job include House veterans, caucus leaders, a top member of Republican leadership and a sophomore. Almost none have the commanding national profile typically required of a speaker who is not only second in line to the presidency but also a key fundraiser for his party’s efforts to preserve and expand the majority.
They must navigate the same treacherous dynamics of a bitterly divided convention that their three predecessors could not, with some Republicans openly questioning whether they can command a majority on the House floor.
Some Republicans who said Friday they would consider running for office announced over the weekend that they would not seek the top job, including Texas Reps. Jodi Arrington and Roger Williams.
All but two of the candidates — Reps. Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Austin Scott of Georgia — voted against certifying President Biden’s 2020 victory in at least one state.
All but three candidates—Representatives Kevin Hearn of Oklahoma, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, and Gary Palmer of Alabama—voted in favor of a stopcap spending bill introduced by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy to avoid a shutdown. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida was absent for the vote.
Here are the Republicans running for Speaker.
Tom Emmer of Minnesota
62 year old Mr. Emmer is the top Republican in the race. Mr. Approved by McCarthy, Mr. At Emmer House no. 3 is a Republican whose job is to “whip” or count the votes to pass the Speaker’s agenda.
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Mr. He is considered one of the front-runners, even though he faces the same problems as the first failed Republican candidate to replace McCarthy. Former President Donald J. Far-right Republican operatives have accused Mr Emmer of not giving enough support to Trump. Some moderates at the convention were not happy with him personally Didn’t back down Representative Patrick D. of North Carolina. to temporarily empower McHenry.
A former college ice hockey player and coach, Mr. Emmer has allies in both the conservative and establishment wings of the party.
Mr. Emmer served two terms as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, helping Republican candidates across the country win elections and infiltrating the convention in the process.
Austin Scott of Georgia
Mr. Scott, 53, was a surprise candidate for the speakership last week, best known in the convention for Mr. He got 81 votes against Jordan.
A small-business owner, Mr. Scott was the freshman class president of the 112th Congress.
He is Mr. Also an ally of McCarthy, he expressed outrage at the ousting of California at the hands of far-right rebels, denouncing them as “nothing but captors.”
Byron Donalds of Florida
Mr. Donalds, 44, a member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, is a favorite of the party’s right wing. This is only his second term in Congress; He won his Naples-based district in 2020.
A native of New York, he received 20 votes for speaker in the House Ford in January, resulting in Mr. McCarthy emerged as Speaker.
He’s already received endorsements from his fellow Floridians.
Kevin Hearn of Oklahoma
Mr. Hearn, 61, chairman of the Republican Study Group, said the majority of the Republican convention is committed to advancing conservative ideology. This position often acts as a stepping stone to leadership positions. Mr. Jordan and Mr. Scalise and former Vice President Mike Pence lead the committee.
Mr. Hearn has conservative credentials, which Mr. Hard-right lawmakers who betrayed McCarthy could be appeased, but Mr. Viewed as a moderate favorite over Jordan.
Nicknamed “McCongressman” for his previous ownership of 18 McDonald’s franchisees, Mr. Hearn was elected to the council in 2018.
Gary Palmer of Alabama
A former walk-on wide receiver at the University of Alabama, Mr. Palmer, 69, is the longtime chairman of the Republican Party’s policy committee, making him the House No. 5 has made him a Republican.
A member of the Freedom Caucus, Mr. Palmer keeps a lower profile than his deeply conservative peers. Mr. A former member of McCarthy’s leadership team, he later became Mr. As the Speaker of Jordan supported the candidature, Mr. Palmer may try to present himself as a unifying force between factions of the party. Elected to Congress in 2014.
Jack Bergman of Michigan
To some outside his district Mr. Perhaps familiar with Bergman. Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General, Mr. Bergman, 76, represents Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.
A highly decorated naval aviator, Mr. Bergman, Mr. He has cachet with many key conservatives — many of whom are military veterans — who opposed Jordan’s candidacy and want an experienced leader at the helm. Mr. Bergman has presented himself as an interim option who will work to “steady the ship” and return normalcy to the council.
“What we need now is a speaker who has leadership experience and can put ego aside to work together for the American people,” Mr. Bergman said in a statement. “We need a leader who recognizes the current leadership crisis and avoids permanent power.”
Mike Johnson from Louisiana
Mr. Johnson, 51, is a lawyer and former chairman of the conservative Republican Study Group.
An evangelical Christian who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Johnson on January 6, 2021 Joseph R. He was a key architect of Republican objections to certifying Biden Jr.’s victory. Many Republicans in Congress believed his arguments.
He is Mr. Jordan’s partner and supporter, Mr. Jordan intended to move forward with his own bid for speakership.
The Beat Sessions of Texas
68 year old Mr. Sessions, by far the longest-serving member of Congress, is considering a run for speaker, having first served from 1997 to 2019. After he was defeated by a Democrat in 2018, Mr. Returned to Congress in 2021. District and won. He previously served as chairman of the House Republican Campaign Committee and chairman of the powerful Rules Committee.
Trump associates in 2019 Ambassador to Ukraine Mary L. In the campaign against Yovanovitch Mr. Sessions participated, writing to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he should be fired for his repeated “disdain” for the Trump administration. (Mr. Trump recalled her in April of that year.)
Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania
59 year old Mr. Meuser was elected to Congress in 2018. He told National Review that he was considering running for speaker because “I’m not going to let this kindergarten continue.”
