NYT Pegs Scalise As Stepping In If McCarthy’s Bid Fails

The New York Times reports:

If Mr. McCarthy is unable to quickly win election, Republicans would be under immense pressure to coalesce around an alternative, ending a potentially chaotic and divisive fight on the floor that could taint the start of their majority in the House. Mr. Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, is in some ways Mr. McCarthy’s obvious successor.

Deeply conservative and always on message, Mr. Scalise began his ascent up the leadership ranks in Congress when he became chairman of the influential right-wing Republican Study Committee and beat out a candidate who endorsed a more combative approach to dealing with party leadership. Speculation about his ambition to one day become speaker have followed him ever since.

Read the full article. Jim Jordan is second on the Times’ shortlist.

Good primer on the voting procedure for House Speaker. My guess is Scalise will step in quickly and win if McCarthy cannot get a deal by first ballot. Otherwise fiasco time. McCarthy agreeing to (insane) ejector seat rule feels like a death rattle to me… https://t.co/g6a7lR7awu

— Mike Murphy (@murphymike) January 2, 2023