Rep. Dennis Ross announces run for Republican whip
Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) announced late Friday he will run for House majority whip, just hours after Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced his resignation.
“Our nation is in need of strong, conservative leadership that will stand up to the President and offer conservative solutions and reforms,” Ross said in a release.
{mosads}“We must return to regular order and the process as designated by our Founding Fathers,” he added. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in order to achieve conservative and meaningful solutions to the problems facing our nation.”
Ross, a deputy whip, had said earlier he was waiting to see whether House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) decides to run for majority leader.
Scalise held a conference call Friday evening to tell House vote counters he will run for the majority leader position if current Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) becomes Speaker, according to a source with knowledge of the call.
McCarthy appears to be in the strongest position to succeed Boehner as Speaker. He held the majority whip post for just over a year after replacing Eric Cantor, who lost his primary election last June, as majority leader.
Ross was elected as part of the Tea Party wave in 2010.
The whip, which ranks third in leadership, serves as the chief vote-counter for the majority, determining whether legislation can pass on the floor.
GOP leaders have not yet announced when the leadership elections will take place. Boehner will step down from Congress on Oct. 30.
Ross will likely have multiple competitors.
Scalise’s chief deputy whip, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), is expected to seek the majority whip post. Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and former Chief Deputy Whip Pete Roskam (R-Ill.), who lost to Scalise last year in the race for GOP whip, could also run.
– Updated at 8:52 p.m.
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