House GOP hears from 8 candidates hoping to break Speaker stalemate

The House is hearing from eight candidates for the gavel as it approaches a full three weeks without a Speaker.

Two Speaker nominees have dropped out of the race after it became clear they would be unable to get 217 votes on the House floor. Some lawmakers are expressing pessimism about anyone being able to get over that threshold.

But Republicans are set to try again. They are holding a Speaker forum Monday evening to hear from the nine candidates who filed to run for the position and hold an internal election on Tuesday.

The eight in the race are: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), House Republican Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson (R-La.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), and Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.).