Republican sources say that House Speaker nominee and GOP whip Tom Emmer has taken steps to secure support across the ideological and geographic spectrum in the conference, giving him an edge in Tuesday’s secret-ballot election to nominate their candidate.
It’s tough to gauge his chances, though, because there are so many others vying for the conference’s support. At least seven candidates spent the weekend making phone calls.
If Emmer were to win the nomination, Republican sources doubt he would be able to gain 217 votes in the House because of the potential opposition from conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus who are sceptical of the GOP leadership team.
After Rep. Jim Jordan’s Friday withdrawal, House Republicans are looking for a new GOP speaker nominee. Since Kevin McCarthy’s historic resignation earlier this month, the House has been without a speaker for more than two weeks.
Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer wrote a letter to his colleagues on Saturday explaining why he is running for Speaker of the House: to bring about “historic change.” McCarthy’s support for Emmer as speaker is a major boost for the latter’s campaign.
While he urged his House colleagues to support Emmer on Sunday, McCarthy did not completely rule out a future run for speakership for himself.
Emmer “has been in the room with all of our successes,” the California Republican stated of him. He puts himself at the top of the list of would-be candidates.
This is not the time to practise your public speaking skills. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCarthy stated, “Tom would be able to walk into the job and do it on Day 1.”
When asked if he would consider taking up the gavel again, McCarthy seemed hesitant.
The title is unnecessary for me. He declared, “I’m going to help in any way I can.” I’m voting for Tom Emmer, but I’m still here to tell you that I’ll be leading in whatever way I can to help keep America safe as a member of Congress, no matter who wins.
