Tennessee US Reps. Mark Green, Chuck Fleischmann made bids for House Speaker

U.S. Reps. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, and Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah, launched bids for U.S. Speaker of the House on Tuesday but both efforts failed by the evening after Republicans began voting behind closed doors.

Both Green and Fleischmann's offices confirmed their bids for the speakership on Tuesday afternoon, after the House Republican Conference's nominee, House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., dropped out of the speaker's race hours after earning the GOP nomination.

Fleischmann earned the fewest votes of any single candidate in a first conference vote late Tuesday evening. He was eliminated ahead of the second round of voting, according to a social media post by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. Green dropped out after the second round.

U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., won the GOP nomination just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday, earning 128 votes. Seventy-three Republicans voted for other candidates.

Six candidates initially announced their bids ahead of the Tuesday evening deadline. Fleischmann and Green will face Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Kevin Hern, R-Okla., Mike Johnson, R-La., and Roger Williams, R-Texas. A candidate forum is expected Tuesday evening. Hern later dropped out of the race.

Emmer was the GOP Conference's third nominee in a week, as the diverse Republican conference struggles to unify around a candidate. Due to the slim Republican majority, a successful candidate will need almost every Republican's support to win the 217 votes to gain the speaker's gavel.

New Speaker of the House bids: Who are US Reps. Mark Green and Chuck Fleischmann? What to know about Tennessee congressmen

The speaker’s chair has been empty for more than two weeks after eight Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, voted to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from the post.

No foreign aid, including for Ukraine and Israel, or any other spending bills can move forward through the House until members elect a speaker.

Emmer followed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in failing to get enough votes on the floor after gaining the Republican nomination.

Two Tennesseans, U.S. Reps. Diana Harshbarger, R-Kingsport, and Andy Ogles, R-Columbia, were among those who voted against Emmer during a closed-door meeting Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, was not present in Washington for conference votes on Tuesday, as he was in Tennessee for a funeral.

“Representative Rose is currently in Tennessee to deliver the eulogy and serve as pallbearer at the Tuesday funeral and burial of Mr. Darrin Drake, longtime farm manager for the Rose Family Farm and a friend of Representative Rose since their days together in the Purdue University graduate program. Mr. Drake passed away tragically and unexpectedly over the weekend,” spokesperson Dylan Jones said in a statement.

“Representative Rose will return to Washington as early as possible to resume legislative duties,” he said.

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X and Threads @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Reps. Chuck Fleischmann, Mark Green launch bids for House Speaker