WASHINGTON D.C., DC — House Majority Whip and Minnesota Sixth District Rep. Tom Emmer has dropped out of the race for speaker, just hours after his party nominated him for the role.
According to NBC News, Emmer withdrew after he failed to get enough votes from his fellow House Republicans.
Emmer was nominated on Tuesday morning, as Republicans tried for a third time to fill the House's top position.
Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy three weeks ago. The new House speaker will need to accomplish the seemingly impossible job of uniting the GOP majority. Emmer jumped ahead as the top vote-getter on early-round ballots and was battling Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana on a fifth ballot.
Rep. Emmer entered the Ways and Means Committee’s hearing room as the frontrunner in the speaker race earlier this week. Even before becoming majority whip last January, Emmer had led the National Republican Congressional Committee. The NRCC is responsible for recruiting candidates, raising money and running campaign ads in local districts in support of their endorsed picks.
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