Tom Emmer wins internal vote to become GOP speaker

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) on Tuesday won the GOP nomination for speaker of the House.

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Why it matters: The House speaker vacancy has torpedoed Congress' ability to pass legislation during a period of global upheaval and as a federal funding deadline draws near.

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– Emmer is the third Republican to win the party's nomination since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was removed earlier this month.

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Driving the news: Emmer defeated a field of seven fellow Republicans vying for the nomination in a drawn-out fight on Tuesday.

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– On the last ballot, Emmer defeated House Republican Vice Conference Chair Mike Johnson (R-La.).

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– The vote was 117 votes for Emmer to 97 for Johnson. Five Republicans voted for other candidates, and one voted present.

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The backdrop: A former college hockey player, lawyer and local lawmaker, Emmer was elected to the Minnesota state legislature in 2004.

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– In 2010 he was the Republican nominee for governor of Minnesota, narrowly losing to Democratic candidate Mark Dayton.

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– Emmer was elected to the House in 2014 and served as the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee in 2020 and 2022.

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