Barely four hours after securing the designation for speaker of the House Republican Conference, a sad-faced Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R.-Minn., announced late Tuesday he was ending his bid for the gavel of dethroned Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
For the third time in a week, House Republicans were unable to unify behind a speaker candidate and were expected to meet tomorrow in search of a fourth contender who might win "the magic 217," the majority of the full House needed to become speaker.
Names mentioned include those of Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson, runner-up to Emmer in the Conference vote Tuesday, or a compromise candidate such as House Rules Committee Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla. Cole, 74, was described by several colleagues as conservative and "liked by everyone."
On the roll-call vote in the Conference, Emmer fell short of the 217 by 26 votes. Rep. Jim Banks, R.-Ind., promptly announced he would not vote for the Minnesotan on the House floor and Rep. Mike Collins, R.-Ga., told Newsmax he could not vote for Emmer because of his votes for same-sex marriage (albeit after the Supreme Court ruled in its favor) and for the continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.