Meet the 9 GOP Candidates for Speaker

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Oct. 16, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

The House hasn’t had a speaker since the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Oct. 3—resulting in a speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), and three failed speaker nominees, two of them Republican.

With Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) dropping out, nine GOP candidates are vying for the gavel. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), despite getting all 212 Democrats in his conference behind him, has virtually no shot given that the GOP controls the lower congressional chamber.

A candidate must get at least 217 votes to become speaker. Whoever wins will have a busy agenda with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and government funding expiring in less than a month.

Tom Emmer

Tom Emmer, the House majority whip, has represented Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District since 2015. Between 2019 and 2023, he led the House GOP’s campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee. During that time, the GOP took back the House in November 2022, albeit just barely, as a decisive “red wave” had been widely expected.

A stern no-nonsense figure and hockey enthusiast, he sits on the House Financial Services Committee, which is chaired by Mr. McHenry.

Mr. Emmer’s speaker bid has been endorsed by Mr. McCarthy and Reps. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.) and Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), per CNN. Mr. Reschenthaler is Mr. Emmer’s chief deputy whip and is expected to succeed him were he to win the gavel.

“Our constituents who sent us all to Washington to lead are counting on us to undo the damage Democrats have done and expand our conservative majority,” Mr. Emmer wrote in an Oct. 21 letter to colleagues announcing his speaker bid. “We must come together for the good of the American people and ensure that our best days are ahead.”

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However, at least some in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) faction of the GOP don’t support him.

Mr. Emmer, 62, is one of two Republican candidates to have voted to certify the 2020 election, although he signed onto a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election in a handful of key states.

Also, unlike most of the other Republican contenders, as pointed out by Punchbowl News, Mr. Emmer supported the debt ceiling agreement earlier this year and the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government and is the only one to have voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would require states to recognize same-sex marriages in other states were the Supreme Court’s decision to make same-sex marriage the law of the land overturned.

Before entering Congress, Mr. Emmer, who is married and the father of seven children, served in the Minnesota House of Representatives and on city councils and practiced law.

Kevin Hern

Kevin Hern, who has represented Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District since 2018, is chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), which is the largest ideological congressional caucus. Given that the RSC consists of both conservatives and moderates, Mr. Hern could reach the 217 threshold. The RSC includes members who have been headstrong since Mr. McCarthy’s ouster. Among them are Reps. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who are McCarthy loyalists; Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.); Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.); and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.).

Mr. Hern, 61, sits on the Ways and Means Committee, which deals with taxes and other forms of raising government revenue.

Before entering Congress, Mr. Hern, a millionaire, was a businessman whose jobs included running McDonald’s franchises. He has been a pilot for more than four decades, he told The Epoch Times in July as the House was reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which he said needs reforms. The FAA has yet to be reauthorized, which is required every five years.

He has voted against Ukraine funding, the Respect for Marriage Act, the debt ceiling agreement, the 47-day CR, and certifying the 2020 election.

Mr. Hern was nominated by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) during the speaker’s battle in January that was won by Mr. McCarthy after 15 balloting rounds. He considered a run a couple of weeks ago but passed.

He is married and has three children and two grandchildren.

Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson, who has represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District since 2017, was RSC chairman between 2019 and 2021 and is currently vice chair of the House GOP conference. He also sits on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees.

“It is incumbent upon us now to decide upon a consensus candidate who can serve as a trusted caretaker and a good steward of the gavel. We must govern well and expand our majority next year,” Mr. Johnson wrote in an Oct. 21 letter to colleagues.

“The complex role of Speaker at this time requires a team player and a bridge-builder with endless energy and a unique mix of skills and experiences,” he said. “My extensive background in law, policy, strategic analysis, messaging, managing, networking, and building coalitions happens to have served as an uncommon preparation for the extraordinary demands of this day.”

Mr. Johnson, 51, voted against certifying the 2020 election, the Respect for Marriage Act, Ukraine assistance, and the CR, but he supported the debt ceiling agreement.

Before entering Congress, he served in the Louisiana House of Representatives and practiced law.

Mr. Johnson is married and the father of four children.

Byron Donalds

Byron Donalds, another Freedom Caucus member, has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District since 2021. He is one of five black Republicans in Congress and, if elected speaker, would be the first black person in that position.

Mr. Donalds, who has endorsed former President Donald Trump’s 2024 White House bid, serves on the House Financial Services and Oversight committees. Before entering Congress, he served in the Florida House of Representatives.

His speaker bid has been endorsed by Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Cory Mills (R-Fla.), Michael Walz (R-Fla.) and Mr. Giménez.

Mr. Donalds, 44, voted against certifying the 2020 election, the Respect for Marriage Act, Ukraine assistance, the CR, and the debt ceiling agreement.

He is married and has three children.

Jack Bergman

Jack Bergman, 76, has represented Michigan’s 1st Congressional District since 2017. A Marine Corps veteran, he serves on the House Budget, Veterans Affairs, and Armed Services committees.

He said last week that he wasn’t seeking the gavel but decided to step up to the plate in order to get the House back to work, as they can’t pass legislation or even a resolution without an elected speaker or elected speaker pro tempore—Mr. McHenry is an appointed speaker pro tempore.

“I don’t want this job, I don’t aspire to be in this job,” he told reporters.

“But I will volunteer to step up until properly relieved until we get 217 votes out of this room to elect a speaker.”

Mr. Bergman’s speaker bid has been endorsed by Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), John James (R-Mich.), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), and Lisa McClain (R-Mich.).

Although he voted against certifying the 2020 election and the Respect for Marriage Act, he voted in favor of the debt ceiling agreement, the CR, and Ukraine assistance.

Mr. Bergman is married and has five children and 10 grandchildren.

Austin Scott

Austin Scott, 53, has represented Georgia’s 8th Congressional District since 2011. He sits on the House Armed Services, Agriculture, and Intelligence committees.

“If we are going to be the majority, we need to act like the majority, and that means we have to do the right things the right way. I supported and voted for Rep. Jim Jordan to be the Speaker of the House. Now that he has withdrawn, I am running again to be the Speaker of the House,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Mr. Scott ran for speaker several weeks ago at the last minute but was defeated by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Although he voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, Mr. Scott voted for the debt ceiling agreement, Ukraine assistance, the CR, and certifying the 2020 election, per Punchbowl News.

Before entering Congress, Mr. Scott served in the Georgia House of Representatives.

He is married and the father of three.

Dan Meuser

Dan Meuser, 59, has represented Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District since 2019 and sits on the House Budget and Veterans’ Affairs committees and the House Education and Labor Committee.

“Should I decide to run for Speaker, my message will be focused on politics of inclusion. Every Member of the Republican Conference needs to be a part of policy-making, legislation, and communications. That feeling of ownership builds a team culture, which is needed as we move our party forward,” he posted on X before announcing his bid.

“It’s time to get back to work and fight for a fiscally responsible budget, promote energy dominance, secure our border, protect our national security, weed out corruption, and earn the trust of the American people.”

Although he voted for the debt ceiling agreement and the CR, he voted against certifying the 2020 election, Ukraine assistance, and the Respect for Marriage Act, per Punchbowl News.

Before entering Congress, Mr. Meuser was Pennsylvania’s revenue secretary.

He is married and the father of three children.

Pete Sessions

Pete Sessions, 68, has served in the House for 24 years and currently represents Texas’s 17th Congressional District and serves on the House Financial Services and Oversight committees.

“I am running for Speaker of the House because I know what it will take to move the Republican Party forward. I was Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee when we won 63 seats in the House & had our largest victory since the Republican Revolution of 1994. During my six-year tenure as Chairman of the House Rules Committee, I helped usher a conservative agenda through Congress. It’s time to get back to work for the American people,” he posted on X.

Although he voted for Ukraine assistance and the CR, Mr. Sessions voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, certifying the 2020 election, and the debt ceiling agreement, per Punchbowl News.

Before entering Congress, he worked for a subsidiary of AT&T.

Mr. Sessions is married and has two children.

Gary Palmer

Gary Palmer, 69, has represented Alabama’s 6th Congressional District since 2015. A member of the Freedom Caucus, he sits on the House Oversight Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“The American people are desperate for authentic leadership, leaders who will work to move the nation forward,” he said in an Oct. 22 statement. “As Republicans, we must show a contrast. There is a distinct difference between our vision for a prosperous and strong America and the vision of the Democrats that has done so much harm.”

As chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, he is the fifth-ranked member of House Republican leadership.

Mr. Palmer voted against the debt ceiling agreement, the CR, the Respect for Marriage Act, and certifying the 2020 election, per Punchbowl News.

Before entering Congress, he was the head of a conservative think tank.

Mr. Palmer is married and the father of three children.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Rep. Mike Johnson is a member of the House Freedom Caucus. Mr. Johnson is not a member. The Epoch Times regrets the error.