Rep. Kevin Hern, a Republican from Oklahoma, has dropped out of the race for speaker and has endorsed Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana. Hern made the announcement shortly after Republicans began their closed-door candidate forum on Tuesday evening. He expressed his belief that the focus should be on America and its greatness rather than individual interests. Hern described Johnson as a trustworthy and great human being who would make an excellent speaker.
Six Republicans filed to run for speaker on Tuesday, including three new candidates who were not considered in an earlier internal election. These new candidates are Reps. Chuck Fleischmann and Mark E. Green from Tennessee, and Rep. Roger Williams from Texas. They joined the previously announced candidates Rep. Byron Donalds from Florida, and Reps. Hern and Johnson. With Hern dropping out, there are currently five candidates in the race.
Johnson came in second place behind Rep. Tom Emmer, the House majority whip, in the earlier internal election on Tuesday. However, Emmer later withdrew his bid after facing opposition from allies of former President Donald Trump and supporters of Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan. Despite winning the conference’s backing, Emmer faced significant opposition from within his party.
One of the key opponents of Emmer’s candidacy was Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, who argued that the left flank of the conference was blocking the nomination of Jim Jordan and instead nominating a liberal member of leadership. Trump also voiced his opposition to Emmer, urging his supporters to vote against him. The growing tide of opposition led Emmer to withdraw his pursuit of the speakership.
Rep. Johnson is now considered a frontrunner in the new round of the internal selection process. However, he may face challenges due to both his and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise representing Louisiana. No speaker and majority leader have ever come from the same state before. Despite this, Johnson’s strong performance in the previous round of voting gives him a promising position in the race.
The Republican Party is now looking for its fourth speaker designate since the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Rep. Jim Jordan, and Rep. Tom Emmer have all been unsuccessful in securing the necessary 217 votes to become speaker. The party continues to search for unity and a leader who can effectively guide them during this critical time.