House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) became the second Republican to announce a run for speaker on Wednesday ahead of a fight among GOP members that will determine who will replaceKevin McCarthy (R-CA). Scalise unveiled his bid in a letter to colleagues first reported by Punchbowl News. “I have a proven track record of bringing together the diverse array of viewpoints within our Conference to build consensus where others thought it impossible,” Scalise wrote. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) was the first to formally announce a run for speaker just hours earlier. Either could end up the most powerful representative in the House, and by extension third in line to the presidency.
