House Republicans nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise to be the next speaker of the House by a margin of 113 of the 212 votes cast in a secret ballot vote Wednesday.
Behind closed doors, House Republicans debated who should lead their caucus, as the party was not unified behind a candidate before the meeting. Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, who received the other 99 votes, is also seeking the gavel, while recently ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy had support from several members but told colleagues not to re-nominate him, according to multiple reports.
Scalise will need 217 votes on the floor to be elected as speaker of the House.
Reps. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, Erin Houchin of Indiana and Mike Carey of Ohio delivered nominating speeches at the meeting on behalf of Jordan.
Scalise received nominating speeches from Reps. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, Ashley Hinson of Iowa and John James of Michigan. (RELATED: McCarthy Addresses Media After Being Ousted As Speaker, Says He Will Not Run Again)
Representative Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. Republicans angling to replace ousted House Speaker McCarthy will vie for their colleagues’ approval today as pressure mounts for Republicans to unite behind a leader with war breaking out in Israel. Photographer: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Both Scalise and Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, said they were running for House speaker just one day after Kevin McCarthy was ousted on Oct. 3. After losing the speakership, McCarthy said he is leaving the position “with a sense of pride [and] accomplishment.” He later dismissed rumors that he planned to resign from Congress and announced his intention to seek another term. (RELATED: Jim Jordan Announces Bid For Speaker Of The House)
The U.S. House voted to remove McCarthy as speaker after Democrats joined with eight House Republicans to vote for a motion to vacate the chair.
Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz filed the motion, which gained support from Democrats after McCarthy refused to make concessions in return for their votes.