Contenders already lining up for House speaker’s chair
WASHINGTON – The jockeying to become the next House speaker began even before its current occupant, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, announced Wednesday that he plans to retire.
The maneuvering is playing out inside both the Democratic and Republican conferences — because both parties are also competing for control of the House in the 2018 elections.
The leadership race will not be decided until after the November elections, during a secret-ballot contest, and the winner won’t take the gavel until the new Congress is sworn in in January.
But it’s no wonder the leadership battle is already underway, since the speaker’s job is perhaps the most powerful position in Congress and second in line to succeed the president.
So who is in the running?
❚ The leading contender on the Republican side is Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the current House majority leader. The 53-year-old McCarthy has rocketed up the congressional ladder, fueled by a mix of personal charm, political savvy, and non-stop work.
McCarthy has run for speaker before — in 2015, after then-House speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced his retirement — only to drop out moments before the vote. At the time, hardline House conservatives had expressed misgivings about McCarthy and it became clear that, even if he won a majority of the GOP conference, he would not get the votes needed to win a roll call on the House floor to certify that election.
Since then, McCarthy has been laying the groundwork for a second bid. He’s been raising loads of money for other House Republicans, trying to mend fences with conservatives, and cultivating a close rapport with President Trump.
❚ Next in line is Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, 52, currently House majority whip, the No. 3 GOP post. Scalise moved into the spotlight last summer, after he was shot at a congressional baseball practice. He was hospitalized for months but returned to work last fall.
Now in his sixth term, Scalise may have more clout with House conservatives. Before becoming majority whip, Scalise led the powerful Republican Study Committee, the largest faction of conservatives in the GOP conference.
Scalise has said he would not chal- lenge McCarthy for speaker. But he told Politico last month that he might run under the right circumstances.
McCarthy and Scalise’s spokesmen declined to comment on the looming speaker’s race Wednesday, focusing on Ryan’s accomplishments.
There could be other dark-horse Republican candidates, particularly if conservatives determine they don’t like the leading candidates. But one influential Republican — North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus — said Wednesday he is not interested in the job.
If Republicans lose their House majority, the speaker’s race will move to the Democratic caucus and it could be even more contentious and crowded.
❚ Many expect House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to try to reclaim the speaker’s gavel, which she held for two years starting in 2008. But the 78-year-old is a polarizing figure; Republicans have made her their boogeyman, and many Democrats think the party needs new leadership.
There’s no shortage of other Democrats with an eye on the speaker’s job, starting with her three deputies.
❚ Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland has been Pelosi’s No. 2 for 15 years, so he would be the natural successor. And Hoyer has a loyal following within the Democratic caucus, thanks to years of work getting lawmakers plum committee assignments and votes on legislation. But as a 78-year-old from the East Coast, Hoyer may not represent the change Democrats are looking for.
❚ South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn is the No. 3 Democrat in the House. And as a southerner and the highest ranking African-American in Congress, he could help the party build its strength as Democrats seek to make inroads in traditionally GOP territory in part by increasing turnout among black voters. But Clyburn is 77, and he’s been in Congress for more than two decades.
❚ Rep. Joseph Crowley, a New Yorker who chairs the Democratic caucus, has also been positioning himself as a possible Pelosi successor. Like the others, Crowley has been raising money and campaigning for Democratic challengers across the country. At 56, Crowley could satisfy the demand for a younger leader, though the 10-term congressman is not exactly a fresh face.
❚ Lesser-known Democratic contenders could emerge. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, for example, mounted a longshot challenge to Pelosi after the 2016 elections. Ryan has continued to argue that Democrats need to reconnect with blue-collar middle America and that electing a Midwesterner as speaker would help.