House GOP speaker field starts to winnow as race heats up

Driving the news: The last candidates standing are House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and House Republican Vice Conference Chair Mike Johnson (R-La.).

• Reps. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) were either eliminated or dropped out during the voting rounds.
• Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) announced he was dropping out of the race during a closed-door Republican conference meeting on Tuesday morning.
• Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) dropped out on Monday, ahead of a GOP candidate forum, saying in a statement he wanted to focus on helping former President Trump and other Republicans win Pennsylvania in 2024.

The internal GOP election could go to as many as half a dozen ballots, with the lowest vote-getter being eliminated each round until someone reaches a majority.

What they're saying: "I believe the House will elect a new Speaker, and I know we will be in good hands with one of our colleagues running. I've spoken to President Trump, and he supports my decision," Meuser said.

• In a statement following his announcement, Palmer said: "If withdrawing my name can help expedite that process even a little, then I will gladly step aside."

The backdrop: Several ambitious, high-ranking Republicans, including Small Business Committee Chair Roger Williams (R-Texas) and Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), considered runs but ultimately opted not to file.

Go deeper: GOP speaker candidates all agree to support eventual nominee

Editor's note: This article will be updated as the speaker field narrows.