WASHINGTON (CN) — Just a day after the House Republican caucus voted to nominate Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise to fill the lower chamber’s vacant speakership, the lawmaker announced Thursday that he would withdraw his candidacy.
Scalise, currently the House majority leader, was nominated Wednesday as the Republican party’s candidate for House speaker, a position that has been empty for more than a week after GOP lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a maelstrom of party infighting.
Although the Republican caucus overwhelmingly voted for Scalise — the final tally was 113-99 — it quickly became clear that the Louisiana congressman faced an uphill battle to whip up the 218 GOP votes he needed to lock down the speakership. Several Republican lawmakers said that they would cast their ballot for Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, the right-wing firebrand who challenged Scalise for the top job. Others signaled that they would vote for the ousted McCarthy.
Despite a marathon caucus meeting Thursday afternoon and a second one that stretched into the evening, little progress was made — and Scalise announced that he would back away from the speaker’s race.
“If you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done,” Scalise told reporters Thursday evening. “Our conference still has to come together.”
Some House Republicans applauded Scalise for stepping aside, including Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who said in a post on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that the congressman was “a statesman” and that he “acted in a true selfless fashion.”
With Scalise out of the race, a speaker candidate who commands the majority of Republican support still appears out of reach. It is unclear whether Jordan, who some GOP lawmakers have held up as a viable option, would be able to cross the 218-vote threshold.
As it stands, North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry is the acting House speaker. Until the lower chamber elects a permanent replacement, however, it remains largely paralyzed — stymying major legislative action such as budget negotiations or military aid for Israel.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
Follow @BenjaminSWeiss
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