Emmer starts making calls about running for speaker, source confirms

WASHINGTON – Minnesota Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer has started making calls within his party about seeking the House speakership, a source close to him confirmed Friday to the Star Tribune.

The move comes amid severe turmoil for House Republicans.

Emmer is already getting a major boost from former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has endorsed the Minnesotan in the race.

"He is the right person for the job. He can unite the conference," McCarthy said in a statement. "He understands the dynamics of the conference. He also understands what it takes to win and keep a majority."

McCarthy had started the day making an endorsement speech for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, but Jordan's candidacy died in a secret ballot vote within his own party that he lost badly. He previously lost three floor votes. McCarthy's switch to Emmer and Emmer's interest in the post were first reported by Punchbowl News.

Emmer has been chairman of the House Republicans' campaign arm for two cycles and is now the majority whip, responsible for lining up votes for party leaders. He would have to overcome stark divides among his fellow Republicans to become speaker. The GOP has such a narrow majority that just a handful of no votes can sink a would-be speaker, and intraparty divisions have already resulted in the removal of one House speaker and torpedoed the campaigns of two potential successors.

McCarthy was removed from the speakership in a historic ouster Oct. 3 when a small group of Republicans went against most members of their party. The narrow Republican majority in the House has been a chaotic mess ever since.

Republicans first nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise to become the next speaker, only for him to withdraw his bid before trying to win on the House floor due to a lack of support needed to win.

Republicans followed that up by picking a more hard-right nominee, Jordan. He tried and failed three times to win the speakership on the House floor. The latest vote came on Friday, with Jordan's support draining away with each successive vote.

Minnesota GOP Rep. Pete Stauber was among the 25 House Republicans who voted against Jordan in the latest floor vote.

"The Congressman believes we need a Speaker as soon as possible, but this third vote makes it more evident that Chairman Jordan cannot get" the necessary votes, Kelsey Emmer, a spokesperson for Stauber, said in a text message.

Now that Jordan has abandoned his bid, Emmer and other ambitious Republicans can try to become the next leader of the thin Republican majority. This latest round of the speaker's race could become crowded - Oklahoma GOP Rep. Kevin Hern, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, Georgia Rep. Austin Scott and Michigan Republican Rep. Jack Bergman have already announced runs.

Republicans have until Sunday to declare their candidacies, and the conference will vote Tuesday to choose a new speaker-designate.

Emmer served as a state representative in Minnesota before losing a close race for governor in 2010. He won his way to Congress in 2014, and is now in his fifth-term representing Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District.

"This has been an ongoing adventure for the Republicans in Congress," Minnesota GOP Chair David Hann said. "Emmer would make a great speaker."

Emmer has built broad goodwill with his own party and is considered a good fund-raiser, an area where Jordan was seen in his party as a liability. But it's been difficult to measure whether the Minnesotan's tenure as whip has been successful given the tumultuous nature of the Republican conference.

The party has fallen apart on a surprising number of procedural votes, which the majority is typically able to carry on its own. But Emmer has also helped pass key pieces of conservative legislation, as well as gotten behind important bipartisan deals to avoid a debt ceiling disaster and a different law to keep the federal government funded into November.

"I think he's done a great job," Kentucky GOP Rep. James Comer said earlier this month about Emmer's work as whip. "It's a tough job. It's very difficult to get to 218, and I think he's got the right disposition."

Earlier this month, Emmer appeared primed to run for majority leader when Scalise was attempting to become speaker after McCarthy was removed. Scalise's failure to become speaker blocked that path, but may lead to Emmer winning an even bigger, and more challenging, promotion.

"He's respected by folks on sort of all sides of their conference," said Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin. "If anyone could potentially unite that very divided conference, it will be Tom Emmer."

Before Jordan dropped his speaker bid, North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy noted that some of the criticism that hurt Scalise's speaker effort could be a challenge for Emmer as well.

"I think some of the people who have said, well, we don't want the whole thing moving up from leadership would have the same argument about Tom," Murphy said, adding. "I think he's capable."

This story contains material from the New York Times and Washington Post.