The Rise of Rep Tom Emmer: Unveiling the House GOP's New Speaker Nominee

Rep. Tom Emmer, the House majority whip, is facing challenges as he seeks to become the House speaker. He has attempted to maintain a balanced voting record, sometimes leaning towards moderation, while also appealing to the Republican Party's base aligned with Former President Donald Trump.

In the race to succeed Kevin McCarthy, Emmer emerged as the new speaker nominee for House Republicans on Tuesday. However, with a slim majority, he can only afford to lose four Republican votes. Unfortunately, 26 Republicans voted against him during a closed-door session. Additionally, despite a phone call with Trump over the weekend, the former president has been posting negative messages about Emmer on his Truth Social platform in recent days.

Several Republicans who disagree with Emmer have expressed to CNN on Tuesday their refusal to alter their position and are advocating for the selection of a different candidate. Emmer has faced recent scrutiny from the conservative wing of the Republican conference due to his support for various actions, such as voting in favor of a bipartisan measure to prevent a debt default and to formalize the legality of same-sex marriage.

Most significantly, he endorsed the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, boldly discrediting Trump's repeated false claims that the results were invalid.

However, Emmer has a track record of backing the former president. Prior to the speakership vote, CNN's KFile examined interviews and public statements in which Emmer declined to acknowledge Joe Biden's victory in the election and criticized the media for declaring the winner shortly after the 2020 election.

The Minnesota lawmaker was elected to Congress in 2014 and assumed the position of majority whip this year. Emmer, previously a state representative from 2004-2008, also ran for Minnesota governor in 2010. Currently, he serves on the House Financial Services Committee.

Emmer, as majority whip, has demonstrated his ability to maintain the GOP's narrow majority in a cohesive manner. In January, Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry, who currently acts as the interim House speaker, stated in an interview with CNN that Emmer played a crucial role in facilitating negotiations between the 20 hardliners and the speakers office. These negotiations ultimately resulted in McCarthy being elected as speaker after 15 rounds of voting.

McCarthy has endorsed the Minnesota Republican for the position of speaker and has encouraged the conference to vote for him before the week is over.

During an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, McCarthy stated, "Now is not the time for someone to learn how to be a speaker. Tom is fully capable of stepping into the role and performing from day one."

Following McCarthy's loss of the speaker position, Emmer was initially suggested as a contender. However, the majority of members eventually supported House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who ultimately withdrew his candidacy due to the GOP's failure to unite behind him. South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, acknowledged his disagreement with Emmer's decision to certify the 2020 election, but he has not made a final decision on whether to support Emmer.

"Trust is something people are looking for," Norman said, adding, "Toms honest."