House starts fresh three weeks after McCarthy’s removal. Speaker vote underway.
A Fierce Battle for House Speaker Unleashed
A bitter race for House speaker has devolved into a free-for-all as nine candidates vie to become the third GOP nominee in three weeks.
House Republicans will hold an internal election on Tuesday to choose their next speaker-designate after pulling the nomination of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), whose candidacy stalled in the face of establishment and centrist opposition on Friday. But first, the candidates to replace him will make their case before the entire conference in a Monday evening candidate forum.
How House Republicans Will Pick Their Next Speaker Nominee in Crowded Field
While nine entered the race by the noon Sunday deadline, only a handful are truly considered competitive. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), the majority whip and two-time chairman of House Republicans’ campaign arm, is viewed as the front-runner. He has the support of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who commands respect within the conference despite his ouster by eight of its members earlier this month.
The internal election is not likely to be resolved in a single round of voting, however. The bottom vote-getter is eliminated after each ballot, meaning it could take several before all candidates are disqualified or drop out.
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), the head of the Republican Study Committee, is expected to advance past the first round, while two others, Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Jack Bergman (R-MI), have attracted early endorsements from members of their home states.
The timing of a floor vote is unclear but could come as soon as Tuesday.
Jordan’s candidacy died after three failed votes on the House floor, while Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), the conference’s first pick for speaker, dropped out rather than suffer the same fate.
Each step of the way has left the party more sharply divided. Neither Scalise nor Jordan won the nomination resoundedly, and tempers have flared as factions accuse one another of sabotage and grudge-holding.
The eventual nominee will need 217 votes on the floor, an all-but-impossible feat given the Republicans’ four-seat majority. All 212 Democrats have lined up behind Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for speaker.
The dynamic is fundamentally the same one that defined the speakership of McCarthy, who won the gavel after 15 rounds of voting and deep concessions to his right flank. A handful of hard-liners, unhappy with his decision to avoid a government shutdown, deposed him nine months later.
Democrats could bail Republicans out, helping elevate the interim speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), on a temporary basis in exchange for concessions of their own. But the party has so far been content to allow Republicans to navigate their own dysfunction.
A GOP push to give McHenry expanded powers, meant as a way to get past internal divisions until January, fell apart following a conferencewide meeting on Thursday.
Since then, Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) has proposed another possible off-ramp — a “unity pledge” to back the eventual speaker nominee that all candidates except Donalds have signed. Members of the conservative Freedom Caucus are opposed to such a pledge.
The caucus, coming off the bruising defeat of Jordan, its desired candidate in the race, called on Republicans to stay in Washington, weekends included, until a new speaker is elected.
“Intentional and unnecessary delays must end,” the group said in a Monday statement. “It serves only the lobbyists of the swamp and defenders of the status quo to continue to drag this process out.”
Emmer, should he emerge the speaker-designate, does not have the same baggage as McCarthy did with the Freedom Caucus. He counts Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), the group’s former chairman, as an ally.
But he will run into opposition from Trump allies mounting what his team has denounced as a whisper campaign against him.
If Emmer fails on the floor, the House will be thrown back into chaos, with another look being given to candidates such as Donalds and Hern.
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The general sense within the conference, according to one GOP aide, is that Republicans, confronted with a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government and Israel engulfed in war, need to elect a speaker by the end of this week.
If they cannot, it becomes far more likely a centrist like Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) will introduce a resolution to empower McHenry.
How does the contentious race for House speaker in the Republican Party further alienate moderate and independent voters, and what are the implications for the party’s electoral prospects?
R-NC), to the position permanently. McHenry, currently the House Republican whip, has indicated that he would be willing to accept the role if no other viable candidate emerges.
The chaotic battle for House speaker reflects the broader divisions within the Republican Party. The clash between establishment figures and conservative hardliners has been a defining feature of the party in recent years, and it shows no signs of abating. This internal power struggle not only hampers the party’s ability to effectively govern but also undermines its chances of achieving meaningful policy goals.
Furthermore, the contentious nature of the race threatens to further alienate moderate and independent voters. The Republican Party is already facing challenges in appealing to a broader electorate, and this internal infighting only exacerbates those difficulties. As the party continues to grapple with its identity and future direction, it risks becoming increasingly irrelevant in a rapidly changing political landscape.
The battle for House speaker is far from over, with the internal election set to take place on Tuesday. The outcome of this contest will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for the Republican Party and its ability to unify and lead in the years to come. Whether the party can navigate these treacherous waters and emerge stronger remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the fierce battle for House speaker is a testament to the deep divisions and internal struggles that plague the GOP.
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