Scalise Drops Out Of Speakership Race: ‘Still Some People That Have Their Own Agendas’

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) dropped out of the race for the House speakership on Thursday after failing to secure enough votes.

In a press conference, Scalise told reporters:

It’s been quite a journey and it’s still a long way to go. I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for speaker-designate. If you look at over the past few weeks, if you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done. Our conference still has to come together and it’s not there. There are still some people that have their own agendas and I was very clear, we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs. This country is counting on us to come back together. This House of Representatives needs a speaker and we need to open up the House again.

While the Republican conference voted 113-99 for Scalise to be the nominee over House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), who received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, Scalise was unable to secure the 217 votes necessary to become speaker of the House.

NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ali Vitali said on Thursday that it would be “immensely difficult” for any candidate to reach the “magic number that they need to actually become speaker.”

This story is developing.

Watch above via ABC News.