If not McCarthy, then who else?

The refusal of a sector of Republican Party representatives to appoint of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House of Representatives remains as an obstacle for the new Congress. McCarthy remains persistent with his intention to continue his candidacy, but he still depends on a vote from the vast majority of his party colleagues. However, cracks are beginning to appear among his supporters, who are pondering the idea of a new candidate who would institutional blockade and the spectacle that the conservatives are causing in the House. The 20 rebels settled on Rep. Jim Jordan as their favorite as of the second ballot, although he is not the only name that has appeared in the pot.

Steve Scalise

First, eyes are on Steve Scalise, the GOP's number two on the floor. It seems the most obvious choice, should McCarthy decide or be forced to step aside in the end. He is closer to the conservative wing of the party than McCarthy, and he has the sympathy of the current majority leader's supporters. However, he is also part of the group that rejected the Freedom Caucus' attempts to reject McCarthy. One of the main criticisms of these rebels is the real "unwillingness" of those in charge to challenge the status quo in the House.

Jim Jordan

Jim Jordan is the evident preferred candidate for the rebels, who voted overwhelmingly for him in the previous round, although he has not even nominated himself for the position. In fact, Jordan asked his colleagues to vote for McCarthy before the second vote. In 2018, he lost to McCarthy in the vote for the role of minority leader. The founder of the Freedom Caucus in the House is a very combative politician, who often participates in the most complicated committees as a key player. It is precisely his vehemence that is his main objection to the more moderate Republicans, who are concerned about the party's image and about maintaining a focused profile in view of obtaining a majority in the prior election.

Patrick McHenry

As early as 2005, when he first managed to enter the House, his colleagues began to point to him as "a future speaker." So said John Boehmer, a former speaker of the House who who worked alongside McHenry, who was whip during his tenure. The current chairman of the Financial Services Committee may convince the hardliners of the party because of his early days, when he stood out for his fierce attitude. On the other hand, moderates may see him as someone with leadership experience and his reputation as a serious legislator.

Elise Stefanik

The current chairwoman of the House Republican Conference represents the opposite case of McHenry. When she came to Congress in 2014, Stefanik became the youngest woman ever elected and presented a quite moderate profile. However, she has radically changed her style and is now one of the strongest MAGA advocates in the House. This makes moderates look at her with the same suspicion as Jordan and the more conservative and liberal ones are unclear about her true affiliation. In her favor, she has much experience as a leader.

Lee Zeldin

Zeldin is a riskier option. He just finished his term and was defeated by Kathy Hochul in the race for governor of New York. No law requires the speaker to be a member of the House, so Zeldin might have a chance, a proposition which dissenters have already denounced. For example, according to the The Washington Post, Lauren Boebert has proposed it privately, while Matt Gaetz has done so publicly. Ralph Norman noted that the rebels would consider electing someone who is not a member of the House. Although a long shot, Zeldin has the respect of current GOP representatives, especially after his good, albeit unfruitful, campaign in the midterms.

The doomsday scenario

One possibility already being discussed is that a group of Democrats (there is talk of 30) may endorse McCarthy or another moderate candidate for speaker. In exchange, Republicans would commit not to subpoena Joe Biden or anyone in his family, like Hunter Biden, to appear before committees investigating the family’s business dealings. Although the cost to right-wing voters would be extremely high, some well known Republicans have begun promoting the idea on social media. This is the case of former Ohio Governor John Kasich on Twitter, who believes this idea will "moderate the House and marginalize extremists".

Byron Donalds

The Florida’s representative was the first to change his vote, picking Jim Jordan in the third round. According to Donalds, he had only pledged to back McCarthy on the first two rounds, which he did. Chip Roy surprised by nominating Donalds instead of Jordan in the fourth round. Flipping his vote may make it difficult for McCarthy’s supporters to accept him, possibly seeing him as a traitor. With his nomination, it is the first time that two black representatives are competing for the position of speaker.