Rep. Paul Ryan on Thursday won the support of three key Republican House factions, endorsements that would seem to clear the way for him to run for House speaker and win the gavel in a floor election next week.
The conservative Republican Study Committee and the moderate Tuesday Group both announced Thursday they are endorsing Ryan for speaker.
Their backing comes a day after the House Freedom Caucus agreed to support Ryan, lifting what was perhaps the biggest obstacle to Ryan’s conditional quest for the speaker’s gavel.
The Wisconsin Republican told lawmakers on Tuesday he would run for speaker only if he received the support of the key House factions. As of Thursday, he appears to have that support.
The Republican Study Committee’s 16-member steering panel voted “overwhelmingly” to endorse Ryan, according to RSC Chairman Bill Flores, R-Texas. The RSC is made up of about 180 lawmakers and comprises the largest House Republican faction.
“After hearing Paul lay out his vision for the future of the Republican conference, I am confident that he is the right person to lead the House going forward,” Flores said. “He has the policy expertise, conservative principles and strong values we need in our next speaker.”
The Tuesday Group endorsement was a bit of a foregone conclusion, as Chairman Charlie Dent, R-Pa., endorsed Ryan as soon as his name emerged as a likely candidate.
“I appreciate the support of the Tuesday Group,” Ryan said Thursday. “This is one more step toward building a united, Republican team.”
The Freedom Caucus did not provide Ryan with an official endorsement but said about 70 percent of the group would back his candidacy, which Ryan has signaled is good enough. He’s expected to announce a decision on whether to run on Friday.
