What you need to know about Tom Emmer, a potential Speaker candidate
On Friday, House Republicans voted to end their support for Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as their Speaker nominee, after Jordan fell short of the required number of votes for the third time in a row.
Since then, several GOP members have declared their candidacy, while others have spent the weekend calling to see if they should enter the race. This will be the third GOP nominee in 17 days, following the historic vote ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Steve Scalise, R-La., was the first nominee, but withdrew a day later amid opposition.
The race for the next nominee is heating up. The House will reconvene on Monday night to select a successor.
Tom Emmer, R-Minn.
Here are some things you should know about Emmer:
Term in the MN House of Representatives
Term in the MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Prior to running for Congress, Emer served in the Minnesota House from 2005 to 2011. He served in the House of Representatives for three terms.
During his time in the state legislature, Emmer served on several committees, including: Finance, Health Care, and Human Services Policy & Oversight, as well as State and local government operations reform, technology and elections.
In 2009, Emmer announced he was running for governor, and even received the endorsement of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin (R) in the process.
The race for governor drew national attention because Target contributed $150,000 through a political action committee to run advertisements in support of Emmer's campaign. The donation sparked protests across the state.
In the end, Emmer lost to his Democratic rival Mark Dayton, who held office until 2019, by less than one percent.
Two terms leading the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) as a House member
Emmer made his announcement to run for the GOP nomination in Minnesota’s 6th district after former congresswoman Michele Bachmann said she would not be seeking re-election.
He has the backing of Tea Party Express, Young Americans for Liberty and several Minnesota state legislators.
He won the general election with 56% of the vote over Joe Perske.
Emmer went on to serve as the NRCC Chair for two full terms, from 2019 through 2023.
Elected as Majority Whip of the House of Representatives
When Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterms, Emmer ran and won the job of House Majority Whip, replacing Scalise.
As Majority Whip, Emmer is responsible for helping the party leadership bring bills to the floor, count votes on key legislation, and keep the leadership in communication.
"I am humbled by the trust my colleagues have placed in me to serve as Majority Whip, and now the real work begins," Emmer said at the time. "It is time to unify our conference and fulfill the promises we made to the American people."
Emmer has said that being a Whip is "the greatest coaching job I have ever had."
After 15 voting rounds to confirm McCarthy as Speaker in his first week on the job, Emmer told reporters in May that he is ready to change the GOP's thinking and rally members around him.
The whip's office has also become a go-to meeting spot for Republicans as they have struggled with internal divisions throughout the year.
Speakers bid speculation. Speakers bid speculation.
After the Republican conference ousted Jordan in a secret ballot vote Friday, several candidates have emerged as potential successors to McCarthy.
Emmer has made outreach to potential candidates for Speaker, according to a previous report by The Hill.
If true, the Whip would be the first to make a run at the job after Scalise pulled out.
He has experience in leadership races, which could help him get the gavel.
After Jordan’s failures, McCarthy gives him the green light
Even before Emmer announced his candidacy, he got a big boost. McCarthy endorsed Emmer as his successor, saying Emmer is the "right person for the job."
"He can bring the conference together. He knows how the conference works," McCarthy said in an interview with Punchbowl News. "He knows what it takes to get a majority and keep a majority."
Emmer also has the backing of another GOP ally, Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo. Buck said he would vote for Emmer on the House floor instead of Jordan.
The race is still competitive. Candidates have until Sunday at noon to file.
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