The chairman of the largest bloc of House GOP conservatives took himself out of the running for speaker on Saturday, telling Republican colleagues it was clear a three-person race wouldn’t be good for party unity.
House Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said he’s spoken with all 221 Republican conference members after some had encouraged him to consider a run. After “prayerfully” considering those discussions, Hern decided it was best to stay out of the race, which is largely between Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
“House Republicans must unify — and do it fast,” Hern wrote in his letter to Republicans posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s clear to me that a three-man race for Speaker will only draw this process out longer, creating further division which would make it harder for any candidate to reach 217 votes.”
Hern called Jordan and Scalise “proven leaders” but did not make an endorsement.
[They called him ‘McCongressman.’ Now Kevin Hern could be an unlikely choice for speaker]
The House GOP conference is scheduled to meet Monday night to discuss the speaker election, which would be held Wednesday if the current schedule holds. Hern said that internal conference election should determine who the speaker will be, before going to the House floor to formally name a speaker for the remainder of the 118th Congress.
“Whatever happens next, our Conference must commit to stay in the room, turn off our phones, and work together until we have a candidate who can earn 217 Republican votes,” Hern wrote Saturday.
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