Two top House Republicans emerge as early front-runners in speaker's race

The two most likely candidates for House speaker —Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — both announced they were running as of Wednesday afternoon.

The big picture: The chamber made U.S. history yesterday when it voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, setting off a scramble to replace him with no clear successor in sight.

Without a speaker, the House's core legislative functions grind to a halt — at a time when lawmakers need to pass yearly spending bills to avoid a government shutdown next...