“House speaker candidate Tom Emmer, the GOP whip, has moved to lock in support across the ideological and geographic spectrum in the conference, giving him what many House Republicans believe is an advantage heading into a secret-ballot election to nominate their candidate Tuesday,“ CNN reports.
“But it’s hard to assess his chances fully since it’s a crowded field, with at least seven candidates working the phones all weekend to win a majority of support within the conference.”
“Even if Emmer were to win the nomination, Republican sources are uncertain he can get 217 votes on the floor, as he could face resistance from members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus skeptical of the GOP leadership team.”
