Representative Tom Emmer (R., Minn.), whom House Republicans nominated by secret ballot for the House speakership early Tuesday, announced his decision to drop out of the race later in the day.
Mike Johnson (R., La.), who finished second in the balloting behind Emmer on Tuesday in the Republican caucus, is expected to vie for the speakership next.
Earlier on Tuesday, Emmer — considered the frontrunner since Jim Jordan dropped out last week — secured 117 votes, while Johnson of Louisiana secured 97 votes. Five members voted for an “other” candidate, and one member voted present.
In secret-ballot voting, the candidate with the lowest vote total in each round is removed until just two nominees remain. Representative Byron Donalds (R., Fla.) voluntarily dropped out on the fourth ballot.
Frustration has been simmering within the party as the caucus has struggled to identify a successor following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) in early October. “Everybody’s frustrated. I think that’s the general consensus around the country — us included, Republican members of the House,” Representative Dan Newhouse (R., Wash.) told reporters ahead of the vote.
Some in the party have pushed for a higher threshold of internal support before going to the House floor for a vote. “When I’ve proposed that and discussed it, clearly the conference doesn’t want to go that way,” Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) told NR, underscoring the need for the nominee to have the 217 votes necessary to secure the speakership.
McCarthy continued to harbor a grudge demanding “consequences” be meted out against the eight members of the House Freedom Caucus, led by Representative Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.), who sent House Republicans into disarray. “There has to be consequences since they broke the House rules,” McCarthy told reporters before the vote. “[A]t the end of the day, I think when all the truth comes out on Gaetz, it will be hard for these seven to ever stand with him or anybody else again.”
Across the aisle, Representative Dean Phillips (D., Minn.) said that legislative paralysis of the speakership battle represented “a national and global security issue.” “I would sit out the Speaker vote if Tom Emmer will fund our government at negotiated levels, bring Ukraine and Israel aid bills to the floor, and commit to rules changes to make Congress work for the people,” the Democratic representative wrote on X early Tuesday.
Last Wednesday, Representative Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) failed to secure the speaker’s gavel in the third House floor vote, leaching support with each successive vote.
Throughout the proceedings, the entire Democratic caucus has continued to fall in line behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), ensuring that the GOP nominee must secure the support of nearly the entire caucus to secure the gavel.
Several candidates emerged in the wake of Jordan’s failed bid, notably: Donalds and Hern. Others began making calls about their plans to enter the race or openly mulling bids, including House Majority whip Emmer, Homeland Security chairman Mark Green, and House GOP Conference vice chair Johnson.
“We’ve got to make a lot of phone calls this weekend and see what see what the issues are,” Hern told National Review moments after the vote to remove Jordan from consideration. “People know me. I’m never gonna lie to you. I’m never gonna lie for you. I think simpler is better,” Scott, who launched a failed bid against Jordan last week, told National Review of his newly announced bid. “We just got to keep pushing forward until we get through the next election.”