Matt Schlapp told Newsmax that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, face different challenges ahead of them to become the next speaker.
Appearing Friday on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," the chair of the American Conservative Union outlined what he believed to be the strengths and weaknesses of both candidates.
"If you see all the public endorsements, they're pretty evenly split," Schlapp said about Scalise and Jordan, quickly following up that it is initially an inside vote with some degree of anonymity in the conference.
But that anonymity could bring some double-talk from politicians.
"Steve Scalise, he's the current No. 2 guy. He's the majority leader. Who wants to tell the majority leader no when he says, Hey, are you going to stand with me?" Schlapp noted.
After the conference endorses on Tuesday or Wednesday, there will be a "whole House" vote. Getting the support of most present members is needed for the job, and conference backing is not required.
Schlapp said Scalise, in his campaign, "needs to worry a little bit about his whip count because more people will probably tell him yes than might actually do it."
For Jordan, Schlapp believes an impediment to him could be the fact that many lawmakers want to see him stay as chair of the House Committee on Judiciary — a role that Schlapp says "he's particularly good at."
But Schlapp does ultimately see Jordan as in the best position to be speaker.
"I think Jim Jordan's ... the favorite candidate," Schlapp stated, "and we did an analysis with the scores of the people who've endorsed either one — with our CPAC scores. The more conservative candidates are going with Jim Jordan, and it's a conservative conference."
House Republicans plan to vote on their replacement for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted in a motion to vacate vote earlier this week.
Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., has also been floated as a potential option for speaker. He has yet to announce, unlike Scalise and Jordan, who have officially entered.
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Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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