Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise makes bid for speaker official: Is he the favorite?

Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise officially announced his bid for speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, a race in which he is considered a front-runner for the job, but not a sure thing.

The Republican from Metairie who represents Louisiana's 1st Congressional District sent a letter to his colleagues Wednesday asking for their support.

Members are scheduled to return to Washington Tuesday and begin the process of electing a new speaker Wednesday.

Scalise, who already holds the No. 2 position of power in the House as majority leader, emphasized the need for unity in his letter to colleagues just a day after a small group of Republicans ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy after just nine months on the job.

"I have a proven track record of bringing together the diverse array of viewpoints within our conference to build consensus where others thought it impossible," Scalise wrote. "Now, more than ever, we must mend the deep wounds that exist within our Conference and focus on our objectives so we can get back to work for the millions of people who are counting on us."

While laying out his case with members, Scalise scalded Democratic President Biden, saying the country is being "pushed to the brink" under his leadership and referred to Biden's administration as "corrupt."

In his letter, Scalise also sought to tug on his colleagues' heartstrings, saying it was fellow members of his caucus who helped save his life in 2017 when Scalise was shot while practicing for the congressional baseball game and nearly died.

"I firmly believe this conference is a family," he wrote. "When I was shot in 2017, it was members of this conference who saved my life on that field. When I made it to the hospital and my family was told my chances of surviving were low, it was the prayers from all of you that carried us through. When I was in the hospital for nearly 15 weeks, it was the possibility of getting back to work with all of you that kept me motivated to get better."

Scalise announced in August he was diagnosed with a blood cancer known as multiple myeloma, though Scalise said last week the treatments he has undergone have been effective in reducing the cancer and he didn't mention the disease in his letter.

More: Could Louisiana's Steve Scalise or Mike Johnson be next speaker of the House?

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Is Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise the favorite to be next House Speaker?