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Steve Scalise Drops Out Of Speaker’s Race

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  October 12, 2023 4:45 PM

This article has been updated.

Update:

On Thursday night, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) dropped out of the Speaker’s race, just one day after he won the Republican nomination.

"It’s been quite a journey. And there’s still a long way to go. I just share with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for the speaker designee," Scalise said Thursday night. "This country is counting on us to come back together. This House of Representatives needs a Speaker and we need to open up the house again. But clearly, not everybody is there. And there’s still schisms that have to get resolved."

After Scalise made it official that he was withdrawing his name, it was later on Thursday night reported that House Republicans will meet on Friday morning at 10am to discuss what's next.

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On Wednesday afternoon, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) earned the nomination for Speaker of the House after a vote from the conference, with 113 votes to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan's 99 votes. The likelihood that he'll actually become the speaker is increasingly looking imperiled, though. After a vote was expected to take place a short time after on Wednesday, it ended up not happening. Republicans are still scrambling. Scalise will be meeting with holdouts later on Thursday it was also revealed.

By Thursday, some were speculating that Scalise would even end up withdrawing. One GOP aide told Townhall it's "very possible." 

"No way he can win a floor vote," the aide continued, speaking about Scalise. "And that's pretty clear at this point." Scalise's withdrawal, if it does come, could come within a matter of hours. "I wouldn't be surprised if [Scalise's] out by [close of business]," the aide speculated. 

House Republicans met again on Thursday, with those on the ground painting something of a chaotic picture.

For instance, that aide isn't the only one who believes Scalise's chances could be slipping away. Fox News' Chad Pergram posted about how Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) shared "I can count votes, and the votes aren't there for Stev[e]." Ogles also believes that "the momentum is, quite frankly, with Jim Jordan right now." 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) spoke to how she is no longer supporting Scalise, despite how he had previously won her over, and shared that "I don’t even think we make it to the floor."

Among the holdouts include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has expressed concerns with Scalise's health. Others remain insistent that they are committed to supporting Jordan. 

The embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has particularly strong sentiments against Scalise. He even mentioned the theory that they could find someone else as "a compromise candidate," insisting he's "never Scalise."

That being said, Scalise may still have hope left in him as he plans to meet with holdouts, though it's nevertheless telling he wouldn't answer certain pressing questions. 

Back in January, at the start of the 118th Congress, it took 15 rounds for Kevin McCarthy to earn enough votes to claim the gavel on the early morning hours of January 7. It would appear that everyone is looking to avoif such a process this time around. Then again, as Pergram also shared earlier on Thursday, Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) nevertheless wants a vote.

House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) expressed a sense of urgency due to "a lot of threats out there," including with regards to the time that fellow House Republicans are taking to sort out the speaker's race. This is especially with the kind of aid that Israel needs after the attack from Hamas. 

Some members, however, aren't even sure if the vote will take place this week at all.