WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Republicans picked Majority Leader Tom Emmer as their nominee for speaker on Tuesday, making him the third pick in as many weeks, after the last two failed to garner enough support on the House floor to get the gavel.
Here are some facts about Emmer:
MINNESOTA
Emmer, 62, has represented Minnesota’s 6th congressional district since 2015, covering suburbs to the northwest of Minneapolis, with Emmer winning 62% of the vote in 2022.
Emmer grew up in the state and received a political science degree from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, then a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. He practiced as a lawyer two decades before winning election to the House in 2004.
He and his wife Jacquie have been married for over 30 years and have seven children, according to his official biography.
LEADERSHIP ROLE
Emmer served as chair of the House Republicans’ campaign arm from 2019 to 2022, helping to win back the majority in 2022 before being elected majority whip.
Both roles gave him face time with a wide swath of members in the Republican conference, although he has never served as chair of a major committee.
POLICY STANCES
Emmer is a relative moderate compared to other House Republicans – he voted in favor of federal legislation recognizing same sex marriage last year, and voted to certify former President Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election. He supports aid for Ukraine and voted for the short-term resolution keeping the U.S. government funded in late September.
He currently sits on the Financial Services Committee and is a co-chair of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus.
RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP
Emmer faced criticism from some far right Republicans in the House for not being close enough with Trump, in particular for not endorsing his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination for president.
Emmer has pushed back on this, pointing to his endorsements of Trump in 2016 and 2020, and adding that other Republican leaders have also not endorsed Trump yet, including former speaker nominee Steve Scalise and former speaker Kevin McCarthy.
(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell)
