Majority Whip Tom Emmer has ended his speakership bid after he, too, failed to unite the highly fragmented House GOP, according to two people familiar with the situation.
He’s now the third candidate to drop out after failing to secure the 217 votes needed to win the gavel — marking yet another humiliating setback for a party that’s now gone three weeks without a leader.
He’s the first candidate that former President Donald Trump publicly opposed, bashing Emmer’s bid just hours after he won the nomination, hardening the stances of the roughly two dozen members who already opposed him.
Emmer’s nomination lasted only four hours, as his campaign to win over holdout votes hit a brick wall, less time than Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) lasted in their two previous bids. Enough conservative members complained of his voting record – that included voting to certify President Joe Biden’s presidential election. Some personal grievances also came back to bite him.
“The GOP conference is changing, and it’s changing to reflect America first,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who said she’d oppose Emmer for speaker. “And Republican voters overwhelmingly support President Trump and the GOP conference and the Speaker of the House should do the same.”
Three House Republicans who Emmer beat earlier Tuesday for the speakership nomination are already planning to jump back into the race: Reps. Mike Johnson (R-La.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), according to multiple Republicans with direct knowledge of their plans.
The conference plans to hold another candidate forum Tuesday evening, restarting the process to nominate a speaker.
Some members, however, want to return to the idea of empowering acting Speaker Patrick McHenry. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) told reporters it’s time to “test the constitutional limits” of giving the North Carolina Republican the power to move legislation. Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) told POLITICO he has drafted another resolution to empower McHenry through Nov. 30.
“If that becomes a reality, that we could vote on that again, I would vote yes,” Flood said.
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
