Rep. Kevin Hern announced in a letter to his fellow conservative lawmakers that he would not be throwing his name into the contest for the next Speaker of the House.
Rep. Kevin Hern announced in a letter to his fellow conservative lawmakers that he would not be throwing his name into the contest for the next Speaker of the House.
Mr. Hern’s decision to step back from the race means that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio are the only two official candidates vying for the gavel.
Mr. Hern, Oklahoma Republican, said that he was encouraged by his colleagues to make a run for the speakership following the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. But after speaking with each conference member, he opted to bow out of a possible three-way race.
“House Republicans must unify — and do it fast. It’s clear to me that a three-man race for Speaker will only draw this process out longer, creating further division which would make it harder for any candidate to reach 217 votes,” Mr.
