The Republican party has been thrown into a state of chaos, as their third House Speaker nominee has been dropped in three weeks.
Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota was the latest contender, who became the third to drop out. Earlier, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio had already passed up the opportunity to be nominated for the position. While it’s not uncommon for Speaker candidates to drop out following multiple unsuccessful attempts, this abundance of dropping out is unheard of for Republicans, having not gone through this process since 1997.
At the heart of the issue lies the problem of Republican divisions in the House. Members of House Freedom Caucus, led by Rep. Jordan, have blocked Emmer’s candidacy, and it is proving difficult to find someone that can bridge the gap between the Right and the Moderate-Right. There is a strong push from moderates to have a more politically progressive voice in the House, however, the Freedom Caucus is out to prevent such a shift.
Given the current circumstances, House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy is the de-facto frontrunner for the Speaker role. Despite an appeal from President Donald Trump, McCarthy has not yet officially accepted the position.
There has also been some speculation that the position may remain vacant as none of the remaining contenders have been able to garner enough support from the Republican party. In the case of Rep. Roy, it is believed that he believes he lacks the required support from the party to succeed and has chosen to back down.
With the Republican divisions in the House escalating quickly, it has become obvious that a new Speaker may not be chosen for quite some time. House GOP is undeniably in crisis and their current predicaments will prove difficult to come out of. There is a lack of consensus and the matter is bound to be disruptive for the agendas of the party.