Minnesota Rep. Emmer wins GOP House speaker nomination

Minnesota GOP Rep. Tom Emmer, the House majority whip, won his party's nomination for House speaker on Tuesday after five rounds of secret ballot voting.

The final tally was 117 to 97 over Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., vice chair of the conference. His nomination now moves to the House floor where it needs at least 217 votes to pass. It’s unclear when the vote will be held.

In a closed-door test vote, Emmer failed to receive the support of 26 Republicans, making his road to 217 an uphill battle. 

In addition to Emmer and Johnson, the declared candidates were Reps. Jack Bergman, Mich.; Byron Donalds, Fla.; Kevin Hern, Okla.; Gary Palmer, Ala.; Austin Scott, Ga.; and Pete Sessions, Texas.

Rep. Dan Meuser, Pa., was a declared candidate but he dropped out of the race Monday evening during the conference meeting that included a closed-door candidate forum. 

Palmer dropped out on Tuesday. 

All of the candidates signed onto a unity pledge, which is an agreement to support the speaker nominee on the House floor.

The top four candidates on the first, second and third ballot reportedly were Emmer, Johnson, Donalds and Hern. Emmer received 100 votes in the third round.

Emmer and Johnson, vice chair of the GOP conference, came in top two in the fourth round, eliminating Hern, who came in fourth. Donalds dropped out after coming in third place. Emmer went on to defeat Johnson in the fifth round.

The winner who receives a majority of the GOP conference also needs at least 217 votes, a simple majority, on the House floor.

The Republican-controlled lower chamber has been without a speaker for three weeks, after 8 GOP members ousted California Rep. Kevin McCarthy along with Democrat votes.