Tom Emmer Becomes Next House Speaker Nominee

After kicking Jim Jordan (R-OH) down an elevator shaft, House Republicans have elected majority whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) as the GOP speaker nominee on the fifth ballot in an internal race which drew nine Republican candidates.

Emmer’s nomination now moves to the House floor, where he will need at least 217 votes to pass.

The other caandidates were Reps. Jack Bergman, Mich.; Byron Donalds, Fla.; Tom Emmer, Minn., Kevin Hern, Okla., Mike Johnson, La.; Gary Palmer, Ala.; Austin Scott, Ga.; and Pete Sessions, Texas.

As Just the News notes, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) dropped out of the race Monday evening, while Palmer dropped out Tuesday.

Each candidate signed a unity pledge to support the speaker nominee on the House floor – however it doesn’t appear that he’ll have the votes needed at this stage.

According to the report, the top four candidates on the first, second and third ballot were reportedly Emmer, Johnson, Donalds and Hern.

The GOP-controlled lower chamber has been without a speaker for nearly three weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted after 8 GOP members joined with Democrats.

According to Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), there’s a “level of exhaustion setting in” the GOP conference.

“I think there’s like, maybe more accurately, a sense of gravity given the many things we have to get done over the next two months, ranging from defense appropriations to dealing with a supplemental FISA reform and the Farm Bill,” he said, referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) – who refused to back Jim Jordan, said that after the nominee is chosen, “Then we got to figure out will people consolidate behind the leader, and they should. I hope they do.”