House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio are racking up endorsements from GOP members as they vie for the speakership following Kevin McCarthy’s ousting.
Scalise and Jordan are the only two House Republicans who have entered the race for speaker, with House Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern of Oklahoma deciding against a run on Saturday.
Ahead of Tuesday’s candidate forum and Wednesday’s speaker election, many Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have backed Jordan, while others, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, are supporting Scalise.
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“Jim Jordan is an honest man, true to his word and his values. He’s also a workhorse. He will put people ahead of petty Washington politics. He has my full support to be the next Speaker of the House,” South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, one of the eight Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy, wrote on Twitter Sunday.
Along with Mace, GOP Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Chip Roy of Texas, Darrell Issa of California, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Mary Miller of Illinois, Mike Turner of Ohio, Mike Carey of Ohio, Mark Green of Tennessee, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Byron Donalds of Florida, Troy Balderson of Ohio, Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, Max Miller of Ohio and Ronny Jackson of Texas have endorsed Jordan.
“Chairman Jordan is the only candidate who can unite the party and get the votes to be Speaker,” Russell Dye, spokesperson for Jordan, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Jordan and Scalise must garner support from a majority of the House, or 218 votes, to become speaker.
Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales became one of the first to throw support behind Scalise for speaker, just hours after McCarthy was ousted on Tuesday.
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Reps. Steve Womack of Arkansas, Ken Calvert of California, Andy Barr of Kentucky, Pat Fallon of Texas, Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, John James of Michigan, Lance Gooden of Texas, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, Ashley Hinson of Iowa, Ann Wagner of Missouri, Vern Buchanan of Florida, Buddy Carter of Georgia and Lisa McClain of Michigan are among the House Republicans supporting Scalise for speaker.
“Our Republican Majority was sent to Washington to get work done on behalf of the American people. I believe Rep. Steve Scalise is the right choice to be our new Speaker and guide our Conference through a difficult time,” Calvert wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “Steve is a stalwart conservative, he has demonstrated his ability to lead, and I believe he is the best person for the job.”
Gaetz, who spearheaded the motion to vacate McCarthy, has yet to reveal which candidate he will support for speaker, but spoke highly of both Jordan and Scalise on Sunday.
“And by the way, if we have a Speaker Jim Jordan or a Speaker Steve Scalise at the end of the coming week, there won’t be a single Republican, sans maybe Kevin McCarthy, who doesn’t believe that we have upgraded the position,” Gaetz told NBC News’ Kristen Welker. “This is about ensuring long-term stability financially for our country from a leadership standpoint. And with either Steve Scalise or Jim Jordan, we will undeniably have an upgrade, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry of North Carolina has been serving as speaker pro tempore since the House voted 216 to 210 to oust McCarthy on Tuesday. Following his removal, McCarthy soon announced he would not run for the position again.
Some House Republicans, like New York Rep. Mike Lawler and Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez, are still hopeful that McCarthy will retain his speakership position.
Scalise did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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