WASHINGTON _ It was the race that wasn't.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise on Thursday threw his support behind House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to succeed Speaker Paul D. Ryan as the House GOP leader.
"I've never run against Kevin, and wouldn't run against Kevin," the Louisiana Republican said on Fox News Thursday morning.
There is some wiggle room for Scalise, because it assumes McCarthy runs for the slot. If McCarthy opted not to run for the position, Scalise would be a natural person to run.
Ryan, who announced on Wednesday he would not seek re-election but would stay through the current term, including as speaker, said at his own press conference Thursday morning that Scalise had endorsed McCarthy.
Ryan said that Scalise said this morning that after the election McCarthy should be the one to replace him.
"It shows you we have an intact leadership team," he said.
Ryan said he's talked to a lot of members who think it's in House Republicans' "best interest" to keep the current leadership team through the end of the year.
