While it's not yet known if Matt Gaetz (R-FL) will be successful in his effort to knock Kevin McCarthy from his role as House Speaker, speculation is swirling as to who might replace him.
According to an analysis from NBC News, there's no consensus on who McCarthy's successor might be. But in the event that he's taken down, "someone would either need to run for the job and win or be reluctantly drafted into the role, like Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was eight years ago," writes NBC News' Scott Wong and Sahil Kapur.
Among those cited by NBC News as potential replacements are Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), given his "experience heading his party’s vote-counting operation as the former GOP whip and his inspiring story of surviving a mass shooting at a congressional baseball practice in 2017."
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Next is Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who has said he's not interested in being Speaker. "But he had two successful cycles leading the House GOP’s campaign operation in 2020 and 2022."
Also mentioned are Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA) and Financial Services Chairman Partick McHenry (R-NC).
NBC News also mentioned Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). "In the Trump era, the party embraced his style of politics, and when Republicans took control of the House this year, McCarthy handed him the chairmanship of the powerful Judiciary Committee. He’s now a GOP leadership ally."
Read more at NBC News.
