Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise won an internal vote held among Republicans on Wednesday to become the GOP House speaker nominee. While the vote was simply an internal barometer to gauge where Republicans sit on the question, it will lead to Scalise as the leading candidate when the vote heads to the full House for a floor vote, according to Axios:
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) won the GOP nomination for speaker of the House on Wednesday, setting the stage for a floor vote that will require him to secure 217 votes.
Why it matters: Scalise defeated House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on a 113-99 vote after days of the candidates working to rally the conference’s support following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
Not everyone is on board with Scalise as several members, who voted for Jordan, said they will still vote for the Ohio congressman when the matter comes up for a floor vote potentially leading to multiple rounds of voting:
Multiple Republicans left the vote on Wednesday saying they’ll still vote for Jordan, setting up the prospect of Scalise failing to secure the speakership on a first ballot.
“I’m voting for Jordan,” said Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio.)
“I’m voting for Jim Jordan on the floor,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).
Scalise will need 217 Republicans to back him on the floor if every Democrat votes.
The intrigue: The race for the nomination was neck-and-neck leading up to the conference election, with both candidates struggling to rally the support needed.
Kevin McCarthy went through 15 rounds of voting before he was able to secure the Speakership. Will Scalise be stuck in a similar grind or will he reach a consensus vote in a less embarrassing vote-wrangling mess?
Scalise has been undergoing cancer treatment which has proven successful but gave pause to some who expressed concern over his health and ability to fulfill the role. Some had speculated that Scalise would take himself out of the running for that reason but those claims proved unsubstantiated.
Republicans have been scrambling to unify and nominate a Speaker quickly as the situation in Israel unfolds and may require Congressional action.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz seemed as if he would support Scalise’s nomination:
Majority Leader Steve Scalise has won the Republican nomination for speaker of the House, but his election by the full body is by no means assured. Matt Gaetz Responds to questions: pic.twitter.com/5GLMKjEN69
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) October 11, 2023
More to come as this story develops…
