Stutzman jumps into whip race

Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) is throwing his hat into a race for House majority whip.

{mosads}His entry complicates a race for the GOP’s No. 3 leadership spot in the House, where Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) are already competing.

Stutzman told local media Thursday that he was making calls in an effort to line up support but acknowledged his bid would be a “long shot.”

“I’m just getting started,” Stutzman told Howey Politics Indiana.

“I was up really late last night making calls. There will be a lot happening in the next few days.”

Stutzman has served in the House since winning a special election in 2010 and argued that his relative inexperience compared to the others could be a boon. He argued some of his colleagues could be looking for a “red-state conservative and a fresh face.”

The whip position could open up if Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) succeeds in his bid to replace Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) as majority leader, following the latter’s shocking primary loss earlier in the week. McCarthy, the current whip, is facing off against Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) for the No. 2 slot.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) announced Thursday that he will not run to replace Cantor as majority leader.