Nine New Speaker Candidates—And Nearly Every One an Election Denier
It’s day 20 without a House speaker, and Republicans have offered up nine new candidates, nearly all of whom have one thing in common: They rejected the 2020 election results.Seven of the nine candidates refused to certify that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. They are:Representative Tom EmmerRepresentative Mike JohnsonRepresentative Byron DonaldsRepresentative Kevin HernRepresentative Jack BergmanRepresentative Austin ScottRepresentative Pete SessionsRepresentative Gary PalmerRepresentative Dan MeuserOnly two speaker candidates voted to certify Trump’s loss in the last presidential election: Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Georgia Representative Austin Scott. But even Emmer has worked to spread election falsehoods.Emmer emerged as an early favorite for the bid as soon as Friday, a day before he actually announced he was running. So far, Emmer has curried key endorsements, including McCarthy’s, who described him as “the right person for the job,” according to Punchbowl News.“If given the opportunity to be your Speaker, we will use that same culture of teamwork, communication, and respect to build on the moments that brought us success, learn from our mistakes, and keep fighting for each and every one of you and our Republican majority,” Emmer wrote in a letter announcing his candidacy.What Emmer conveniently failed to mention in his statement was his work to help Donald Trump fight the 2020 election.Despite the fact that he voted to certify the election results, Emmer was one of more than 100 Republicans who signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to throw out Biden’s winning numbers in Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.That leaves Scott as the only Republican speaker candidate who accepted the election results. He is in his seventh term in Congress, is pro-defense spending, and has called for federal bans on abortion and gay marriage.He also urged his peers not to object to the Electoral College results in 2020, is part of a cohort of Republicans who loathe Jordan, and helped Georgia Democrats remove the confederate battle emblem from the state flag in 2001.Scott made headlines nearly two weeks ago when he first threw in his bid for the coveted seat, claiming that he didn’t “necessarily want to be Speaker of the House” but just wanted “a house that functions correctly.”“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,” Scott tweeted on Friday.The Republican candidate forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST Monday, with a floor vote anticipated as soon as Tuesday, according to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry.The new effort comes after more than two weeks of failed floor votes for other candidates, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Trump ally Jim Jordan, who backed down Friday after a secret ballot party vote revealed that 112 members were ready to move on from his candidacy and find another alternative.
It’s day 20 without a House speaker, and Republicans have offered up nine new candidates, nearly all of whom have one thing in common: They rejected the 2020 election results.
Seven of the nine candidates refused to certify that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. They are:
- Representative Tom Emmer
- Representative Mike Johnson
- Representative Byron Donalds
- Representative Kevin Hern
- Representative Jack Bergman
- Representative Austin Scott
- Representative Pete Sessions
- Representative Gary Palmer
- Representative Dan Meuser
Only two speaker candidates voted to certify Trump’s loss in the last presidential election: Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Georgia Representative Austin Scott. But even Emmer has worked to spread election falsehoods.
Emmer emerged as an early favorite for the bid as soon as Friday, a day before he actually announced he was running. So far, Emmer has curried key endorsements, including McCarthy’s, who described him as “the right person for the job,” according to Punchbowl News.
“If given the opportunity to be your Speaker, we will use that same culture of teamwork, communication, and respect to build on the moments that brought us success, learn from our mistakes, and keep fighting for each and every one of you and our Republican majority,” Emmer wrote in a letter announcing his candidacy.
What Emmer conveniently failed to mention in his statement was his work to help Donald Trump fight the 2020 election.
Despite the fact that he voted to certify the election results, Emmer was one of more than 100 Republicans who signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to throw out Biden’s winning numbers in Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
That leaves Scott as the only Republican speaker candidate who accepted the election results. He is in his seventh term in Congress, is pro-defense spending, and has called for federal bans on abortion and gay marriage.
He also urged his peers not to object to the Electoral College results in 2020, is part of a cohort of Republicans who loathe Jordan, and helped Georgia Democrats remove the confederate battle emblem from the state flag in 2001.
Scott made headlines nearly two weeks ago when he first threw in his bid for the coveted seat, claiming that he didn’t “necessarily want to be Speaker of the House” but just wanted “a house that functions correctly.”
“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,” Scott tweeted on Friday.
The Republican candidate forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST Monday, with a floor vote anticipated as soon as Tuesday, according to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry.
The new effort comes after more than two weeks of failed floor votes for other candidates, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Trump ally Jim Jordan, who backed down Friday after a secret ballot party vote revealed that 112 members were ready to move on from his candidacy and find another alternative.
