http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=F1A42242-FF69-4F8C-B5FB-8FE082B59BC0 How House GOP will elect new leaders
By: Lauren French
June 16, 2014 05:01 AM EDT
The House Republican Conference will vote on Thursday to elect new leaders. Here’s how the process works:
Republicans will gather in the Longworth House Office Building for two as-long-as-it-takes votes.
Before voting begins, each of the candidates will have an opportunity to make a final pitch to the 233-member caucus.
Lawmakers will then vote to elect a new majority leader to replace Eric Cantor, who lost his primary race last Tuesday. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California will face off against Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho.
The victor will need the support of more than half the caucus — or 117 votes — to win outright. McCarthy, the current majority whip, is the overwhelming favorite to become majority leader.
With McCarthy likely to move up the leadership ranks, Republicans will have to fill his majority whip post.
That race is wide open as Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Peter Roskam of Illinois and Marlin Stutzman of Indiana all seek to move into leadership.
The whip race could possibly move to a second ballot if no candidate secures the 117 votes needed to win outright. If that happens, the lowest-scoring candidate will be dropped from the ballot and a second vote will occur.
Both elections will be conducted by secret ballot. With no record of how lawmakers vote, the contests are decided more by personal relationships and promises than by policy commitments.
