Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., will nominate Rep. Paul Ryan to be speaker of the House Wednesday.
A House GOP aide confirmed to the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that Gowdy, the chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, will deliver a speech during a House GOP conference meeting to convince his fellow lawmakers to back the Wisconsin congressman.
Reps. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., and Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, are expected to give follow-up remarks in support of Ryan.
Ryan announced last Tuesday he would seek the speaker’s chair, after repeatedly denying the requests from colleagues to run, but only if his fellow Republicans would unite behind his cause. He is facing competition from Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., who is supported by the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Republican members will vote on Wednesday for their preferred candidate, in which Ryan is the favorite to win. Ryan is expected to get a clear majority of House Republican votes, and then Thursday, he will need to get a majority of all House members in the full House vote for speaker.
