House GOP to elect leaders: Races to watch

House Republicans are set to have some surprises in their internal leadership elections for the 119th Congress on Wednesday, along with several competitive races for lower-ranking leadership roles.

Conservatives were mulling a last-minute challenge to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and President-elect Trump’s pick of House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to be United Nations Ambassador is setting off a scramble for those vying to fill her position.

The closed-door leadership elections are conducted by secret ballot. Republicans will hold a candidate forum in the morning and elections in the afternoon.

Speaker nominee

Johnson, who has been in the Speaker role for a little over a year, is seeking to keep his gavel. He is pitching the importance of continuity of leadership as Republicans plot an ambitious legislative agenda under Trump, with economic and tax issues taking the forefront.

But risks facing a protest challenger, with some conservatives frustrated with how Johnson has handled spending issues and other policy considerations.

Sources told The Hill Tuesday afternoon that conservatives will nominate an alternative to Johnson for the Speakership on Wednesday, but that they have not decided who that nominee will be.

But by Tuesday evening, the conservative sources said they were planning a Plan B method to show resistance to Johnson and GOP leadership that did not involve a protest candidate.

While Johnson is expected to easily win the internal nomination, the challenge could foreshadow difficulties for Johnson in securing the gavel on the House floor on Jan. 3, when Johnson will need near-unanimity in the slim GOP majority.

House Republican Conference Chair

Stefanik’s nomination to be U.N. ambassador opened up the No. 4 House GOP leadership slot that set off a scramble, with around half-dozen contenders considering jumping in for the race for the messaging-focused role.

But heading into elections, only two candidates remain: Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the current House GOP Conference Secretary, and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.). Both women are in their second terms.

McClain, 58, is touting her blue-state background and ties to Trump.

“I understand what it takes to win tough races. As a proud surrogate for President Trump, I helped deliver Macomb County, a political bellwether, by directly appealing to and earning the trust of a large and diverse coalition of voters,” McClain said in a letter to colleagues.

Cammack, 36, is a former House staffer who is a regular on cable news and was a recruitment vice chair at the National Republican Congressional Committee.

In a letter to colleagues, Cammack pitched how she can use her messaging skills to help Republicans effectively message for their districts and for Trump’s agenda, including by “micro-targeting to engage specific districts,” and by creating a dedicated Hispanic outreach task force.

She also has a number of conservative endorsements, including from Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and the Young Republican National Committee.

Chair of the Republican Policy Committee

Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) has held the policy committee chair role since 2019 and is seeking another term. 

In a letter to colleagues, Palmer touted bringing the committee that was once “dormant” back, “arming members with well-researched and accurate information that members have personally told me aid them in their official capacity.” 

But Palmer is facing a challenge from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), the outgoing chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House. Hern has public endorsements from several colleagues, including House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.).

“I will strengthen the RPC and utilize my relationships across the Capitol to ensure that House priorities have a path through the Senate,” Hern said in a letter to colleagues. “I want to connect our Members with policy leaders across the Trump Administration for a whole-of-government approach to legislating.”

House Republican Conference Secretary

McClain, the current Secretary, can seek the position again if she does not win the conference chair race. But if she wins chair, the secretary spot opens up, and several candidates are running for that position in anticipation of that scenario.

Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.), a former news anchor and reporter, told colleagues in a letter that he would use the secretary role to expand the GOP chief of staff mentorship program and the freshman mentorship program.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), who represents one of the most competitive districts in the country, made her electoral success a selling point for her bid: “If this Republican Conference is going to win more than a few-seat majority each cycle, we must begin to include members who are elected from battleground districts at the leadership table,” Miller-Meeks said in a letter to colleagues.

Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) initially mounted a bid for conference chair, saying she would help members speak “directly to the American people” as “legacy media fades.” But she is now instead running for secretary, telling colleagues in a letter that she will “ensure that the voice of every Republican Member is represented.”

Uncontested races

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who has been the No. 2 House Republican since 2019, is seeking another term in that role.

Scalise in a four-page letter to colleagues last week highlighted the Republicans’ plans for Trump’s first 100 days: lock in the tax cuts that Trump signed into law during his first term; “unleash American energy” by mandating lease sales and ending green subsidies that Democrats passed; and send resources to the southern border to build Trump’s border wall.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) is also seeking a second term and is running unopposed. 

“As the whip, I will work with every corner of our conference to ensure every voice is heard, every constituent is represented, and that we get these policies across the finish line,” Emmer said in a press conference on Tuesday.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) opted to run for a second term, even though he was rumored to be a contender to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

And House GOP Vice Chair Blake Moore (R-Utah), who had considered a run for conference chair, is opting for a full term in his current post. Moore replaced Johnson when he was elevated to the Speakership.

Mychael Schnell contributed.