Who could succeed Republican Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the US House?

WASHINGTON, (Reuters): Republicans in the US House of Representatives began to position themselves on Wednesday to run for speaker, the day after a small group of hardliners succeeded in ousting Kevin McCarthy from the job in a historic first.

Here are some possible candidates:

IN: JIM JORDAN

Representative Jim Jordan, an ally of former President Donald Trump, was nominated by some Republican rebels to be the speaker during the election to the seat in January. He received 20 votes during one round of voting. He had also previously challenged McCarthy in a race for minority leader in 2018.

Jordan, who represents a district in Ohio, is the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, one of the three panels at the center of the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. A firebrand, Jordan publicly sparred with Democrats over their investigations into then-President Trump.

Read More: Nobel Chemistry prize awarded for ‘quantum dots’ that bring coloured light to screens

The former college wrestler told reporters on Wednesday that he was in the running. In a letter to colleagues, he called for unifying the caucus, writing: “We can focus on the changes that improve the country and unite us in offering real solutions.”

IN: STEVE SCALISE

Representative Steve Scalise is the No. 2 House Republican long considered to be McCarthy’s heir apparent.

The Louisiana lawmaker may face questions from the caucus about his health, as he announced in August that he was in treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. In 2017, Scalise was severely injured in a shooting during practice for a charity baseball game.

Representative Matt Gaetz, the lawmaker who spearheaded the push to oust McCarthy, has said he would support Scalise taking over the role. Scalise formally announced his candidacy in a letter to his colleagues on Wednesday.

POSSIBLE: KEVIN HERN

Kevin Hern is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative Republicans. He has told reporters that several lawmakers have approached him to consider running and has suggested that he would be open to it. However, the lawmaker from Oklahoma could have trouble attracting support from moderates.

POSSIBLE: PATRICK MCHENRY

Representative Patrick McHenry was named to step in as speaker pro tempore following McCarthy’s ouster. Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, McHenry is a McCarthy ally who spoke in support of McCarthy prior to the ouster vote.

McHenry, a lawmaker from North Carolina, has said he does not want the job, but supporters may push him toward it if other candidates lose support.

POSSIBLE: TOM EMMER

Representative Tom Emmer is the House Republican whip. The Minnesota lawmaker headed the House Republicans’ campaign arm during the 2022 midterm elections, when Republicans recaptured the House majority from Biden’s Democrats.

He has backed Scalise for the post, but multiple lawmakers have said they could consider him as a candidate for the job.

POSSIBLE: TOM COLE

Tom Cole is a Republican veteran who holds a powerful position as chair of the House Rules Committee. Though he has not said he was interested in the job, the Oklahoma lawmaker could garner support from Republicans seeking an alternative to the hard-right.

OUT: DONALD TRUMP

The House has always elected one of its own as speaker, but the U.S. Constitution does not say the job must go to an elected member of the House. Some allies of Donald Trump have suggested he could serve in the role.

Trump acknowledged the calls before entering the courtroom in his New York civil fraud trial on Wednesday, but said he remained focused on the 2024 presidential election, where he is the leading contender for the Republican nomination to take on Biden.

Trump may not be eligible because he is under four criminal indictments. House Republican rules state that a member of leadership must step aside if indicted.

OUT: KEVIN MCCARTHY

Before of the vote, allies had suggested McCarthy could run again for the job. But McCarthy told reporters late on Tuesday that he would not seek the post again.