WASHINGTON: Nine Republicans will seek the top job in the US House of Representatives on Monday (Oct 23) when their party members meet to nominate a new candidate for speaker and try to end three weeks of chaos.
Combative conservative Jim Jordan was the last lawmaker nominated for the job but he was unable to get enough fellow Republicans to back him in a full House vote. He is no longer a candidate.
Here are the Republican lawmakers now running to be speaker of the House, which has been without a leader since Oct 3:
JACK BERGMAN
Bergman, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who has been in Congress since 2017, said on Friday his “hat is in the ring”. He is from Michigan.
BYRON DONALDS
Donalds, a Black Republican from Florida and member of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, announced his candidacy in a statement late on Friday. Last month, a source close to Donalds told Fox News that he was considering whether to run for Florida governor in 2026.
TOM EMMER
Emmer, the House’s No 3 Republican and chief vote counter, has won the endorsement of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted by hardline party members on Oct 3. A former ice hockey coach from Minnesota, Emmer said in a social media post on Saturday that he was running “to bring our conference together and get back to work”.
KEVIN HERN
Hern, from Oklahoma and chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus in Congress, kicked off his run for speaker minutes after Jordan said he had dropped out of the race.
MIKE JOHNSON
Johnson, a socially and fiscally conservative constitutional law attorney from Louisiana, has been a member since 2017. He said in a letter to colleagues on Saturday that he was running as a consensus candidate and billed himself as a “team player and a bridge-builder”.
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DAN MEUSER
Meuser, who is from Pennsylvania and has been in the House for four years, has endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 White House race. In a letter announcing his candidacy for speaker, Meuser said the speaker’s office had to prioritize each member and “the unique needs of their districts”.
GARY PALMER
Palmer, an outspoken defender of former President Trump, was elected to Congress in 2014. He is the chair of the House Republican Policy Committee, whose goal is to unite congressional Republicans.
AUSTIN SCOTT
Scott, a Georgia lawmaker who has kept a relatively low profile in his 12 years in Congress, also launched his candidacy on Friday. He challenged Jordan for the nomination last week but failed.
PETE SESSIONS
Sessions, a Texas congressman since 1997 who chairs the House Rules Committee, declared his candidacy on Friday, saying he has the experience to unite the party.