Byron Donalds Announces Bid to ‘Become the First African-American Speaker’

AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) announced his bid for the House speakership on Friday after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) was dropped as the Republican nominee.

In a statement, Donalds announced:

Tonight, I am announcing my candidacy for speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. My sole focus will be securing our border, funding our government responsibly, advancing a conservative vision for the House of Representatives and the American people, and expanding our Republican majority.

As a member of this conference, I’ve seen firsthand the devotion of my colleagues to improving the lives of their constituents and the future of America. We come from different walks of life but share the common pursuit of a more perfect union. As speaker, every voice in our conference will have a seat at the table to ensure our unity and consensus on the legislative battles we face.

Under my leadership, the House will lead the charge to advance a simple objective: put the American people first, keep them safe, and make their lives easier. Titles aren’t given. They’re earned. I look forward to securing the votes of a majority of my Republican colleagues to become the first African-American speaker, the first speaker from the great state of Florida, and the next speaker of the 118th Congress.

Donalds — who has received endorsements from fellow Florida congressmen Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), as well as Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) — threw his hat into the ring after Jordan’s nomination for speaker was dropped on Friday following three unsuccessful House votes.

Following Friday’s third unsuccessful vote, which saw the number of House Republicans against Jordan rise to 25, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told reporters, “Unfortunately, Jim is no longer going to be the nominee… We’ll have to go back to the drawing board.”