Topline
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who won his party’s nomination for House speaker Tuesday afternoon, dropped out of the hotly contested race within the span of only a few hours, according to multiple reports, sending the GOP back to the drawing board as Republican infighting leaves the divided House without a speaker.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) dropped out of the speaker race after winning the GOP … [+]
Key Facts
Emmer, a fourth-term Republican, won the GOP’s nomination for speaker after five rounds of voting on Tuesday, outlasting seven contenders, but dropped out soon after, multiple outlets reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Despite winning the nomination with 117 votes, Emmer still needed to pick up 100 votes in order to become speaker, and faced pushback from the far-right wing of the GOP—including from former President Donald Trump—as well as from Democrats, who have been voting unanimously for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
Emmer’s step away from the speaker race marks the latest setback for the GOP, which has failed to nominate a candidate who has gone on to win the speaker following the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this month.
Chief Critic
Trump, who had previously supported far-right Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in the speaker race, bashed Emmer as a “globalist RINO” (Republican in name only) in a post on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon, arguing a vote for the Minnesota Republican would amount to a “tragic mistake.” The former president had reportedly been calling GOP House members in an attempt to steer them away from a potential Emmer speakership, following a reported rift between Trump and Emmer over claims Emmer urged Republican candidates in last year’s midterm elections to distance themselves from the former president. Emmer denied those claims in a Fox News interview late last year, lauding Trump as a “fantastic ally.”
Tangent
Jordan was removed as the GOP’s nominee for speaker late last week after the House Judiciary Committee chair failed in three consecutive speaker votes, prompting a group of Republicans to throw their hat in the ring for House speaker. The House has remained without a leader for three weeks, leaving it hamstrung from conducting regular business, including votes on funding for Israel and Ukraine, as well as appropriations bills to stave off a government shutdown before a temporary funding resolution expires next month.
What To Watch For
Another round of speaker votes. Without a nominee, House Republicans must vote again in a secret ballot to select a member of the party to move forward to a House-wide vote for speaker. A trio of Republican representatives—Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) and Mike Johnson (R-La.) relaunched their speaker bids, after losing to Emmer for the GOP nomination on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who also announced a speaker bid, told Axios the Georgia Republican will not run again, while Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) were not on the final list of candidates for the Republican Conference posted by conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.). Among the other Republicans on that list: Reps. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and Roger Williams (R-Texas).
Further Reading
Who Is Tom Emmer? Here’s What To Know About The New GOP Speaker Nominee Endorsed By McCarthy But Criticized By Trump Allies. (Forbes)
Emmer Wins GOP Speaker Nomination—But Is 100 Votes Short Of Majority Needed To Win Gavel (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/10/24/tom-emmer-drops-out-of-speaker-race-just-hours-after-winning-gop-nomination/