And then there were nine in house speaker race
Candidates include a former ice hockey coach, a politician known as the McCongressman and a retired marine corps general.
Nine Republicans entered the race to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives on Sunday, vying to lead a divided congressional caucus that ousted its Speaker this month and has since rejected two leading applicants for the job.
The latest race to lead the party in the lower house of the US congress began after Jim Jordan, a fiery conservative from Ohio supported by the right wing of the party, emerged as the leading candidate and then saw his support steadily diminish over the course of three ballots.
A subsequent plan to give Patrick McHenry, who is serving as caretaker Speaker, broader temporary powers until next year to give Mr Jordan more time to build support fell apart too.
Republicans hold a majority of nine in the house and the plan to empower Mr McHenry, an ally of Kevin McCarthy, the former Speaker, seemed likely to require a deal with Democrats, to guarantee their support in any floor vote. Mr McHenry had also added his voice to those opposing the plan, saying that he hoped, by the end of this week, to be able to return to his role chairing a committee overseeing the financial markets.
New candidates for the job of Speaker, which is second in line to the presidency behind the vice-president, had to submit their application before a secret ballot of the party’s congressional conference, which is expected to be held on Tuesday.
The candidates include a former ice hockey coach, a politician known as the McCongressman because he previously held franchises for 18 McDonald’s restaurants, and a retired marine corps lieutenant general who suggested that he would serve temporarily, to bring the party together.
Tom Emmer, the former ice hockey player who is the most prominent candidate and is the No.3 Republican in the house, said in a letter announcing his candidacy that he had supported Mr McCarthy, who won the role in January and was ousted this month, “because of his willingness to change the way this institution operates”.
In an apparent attempt to distinguish himself from Mr McCarthy, who was seen as reneging on promises, he said: “I will never make a promise I cannot fulfil.”
Jack Bergman, a former naval pilot, was said to enjoy support from some veterans. He declared his candidacy saying the voters who sent him to congress from Michigan seven years ago knew they needed “to send a marine”.
Kevin Hern, the so-called McCongressman, of Oklahoma, was expected to draw on his conservative credentials as chairman of a policy group, although he is said to be regarded as more moderate than Mr Jordan.
Mr Jordan was accused of running a campaign of intimidation in his attempt to be Speaker, seeking to browbeat Republicans to rally to his side.
The Times
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