House Republicans back at the drawing board as they seek to elect new speaker

House Republicans convened for a second closed-door candidate forum on Tuesday evening as lawmakers continue to search for a speaker candidate who can secure the majority votes needed to secure the position.
Five candidates declared their candidacy to run for speaker, including Reps. Byron Donalds (FL), Chuck Fleischmann (TN), Mark Green (TN), Mike Johnson (LA), and Roger Williams (TX). Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) also declared a bid, but dropped out an hour later to endorse Johnson.
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“This race has gotten to a point where it’s kind of gotten crazy,” Hern said shortly after dropping his bid. “It is more about people right now than it should be. This should be ab …