House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Wednesday announced they are running for House speaker one day after Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the position by a group of far-right legislators. "Now is the time for our Republican conference to come together to keep our promises to Americans," Jordan wrote in a letter penned to House Republicans, saying, "No matter what we do, we must do it together as a conference." Jordan told CNN that he thinks the GOP is a "conservative-center-party" and argued that "I think I'm the guy who can help unite that. My politics are entirely consistent with where conservatives and Republicans are across the country." As CNN noted, Jordan's politics may be too far right for more moderate members of the House GOP.
Scalise, in his own letter, argued that he has "a proven track record of bringing together the diverse array of viewpoints within our Conference to build consensus where others thought it impossible. When I ran to be your Majority Leader, I made a commitment to turn our conservative agenda into legislative action, facilitate a legislative process built on regular order and Member input so all Members and their constituents have a voice in the House of Representatives, and to hold the Biden Administration accountable."
Both candidates and any other potential contenders face a steep climb to be elected speaker. Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman reported that he was already "hearing rumblings from some longtime McCarthy allies that they will work to try to prevent Scalise from becoming speaker. The path to 218 is rocky for all candidates."
