Jim Jordan announced his bid this morning: NEWS: Asked if he’s running for speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan replies: “Yes.”. Steve Scalise is expected to later today: NEWSY: Scalise is expected to officially announce his bid for speaker later today, a source familiar tells me. these are the main two serious contenders, although Jodey Cook Arrington and Kevin Hern have also floated bids.

hysterically–and quite stupidly–the actual leader in endorsements right now is Donald Trump. he has three from Marjorie Taylor Greene, Troy Nehls, and William Steube. this should not be a serious run and he should quickly be lapped by actual contenders, but it’ll probably make for some very annoying virtue signalling in the days to come.

it has also been insinuated that Scalise may have difficulty winning over McCarthy’s hardliners (“I’m already hearing rumblings from some longtime McCarthy allies that they will work to try to prevent Scalise from becoming speaker. The path to 218 is rocky for all candidates.”), but that seems… dumb, to put it politely.