House Republicans will meet Tuesday morning to pick a new speaker nominee from a crowded field, though it remains unclear whether any candidate can lock down the 217 votes needed to ultimately win the gavel.
The vote to pick a nominee will take place behind closed doors via secret ballot. Eight Republicans are in the running after Rep. Jim Jordan was pushed out of the race following three failed floor votes. Pressure is intensifying on House Republicans three weeks after the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which has left the House in a state of paralysis.
With multiple candidates in the running, members will cast a successive series of secret ballots and the candidate who garners the fewest number of votes in each round will be dropped from the running. The winning candidate will need a majority of the conference behind them.
Notably, however, winning a majority of the conference is a lower bar to clear than what’s needed to win the gavel on the floor. That requires a majority of the full chamber. Given the intense divisions within the conference and the GOP’s narrow majority, whoever emerges as the nominee will face tough vote math ahead.
Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who serves as majority whip, is considered the front-runner in the race. McCarthy is backing Emmer, delivering an early boost to his candidacy. But the Minnesota Republican, who voted to certify the 2020 election, could face an uphill battle, as some allies of former President Donald Trump have been critical of his candidacy. Despite a cordial phone call with the former president over the weekend, Trump reposted attacks against the House GOP whip on Truth Social Monday night.
Leaving a GOP conference meeting Monday night, Emmer told CNN, “We have a good relationship,” when asked about Trump.
The other candidates are: Reps. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Mike…
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