Congressman Kevin Hern has announced that he will be seeking the position of Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives following the news that current Leader Steve Scalise has been nominated to be the next Speaker of the House.
In a letter to his colleagues, Hern said that the Republican House needs “a Majority Leader who will work alongside our Speaker to help move this Conference past the events of the last ten days.”
Hern also said that he believed his experience outside of Congress made him “uniquely qualified” to lead the Majority in the House. “We need leaders who listen twice as much as they speak, who are conservative because they’ve seen the impact of Democrat policies firsthand, and who aren’t afraid to change the way things have been done around here,” he said.
Hern himself was on the shortlist for candidates for Speaker of the House, but he chose not to run for that seat, believing it would make it more difficult for any candidate to get the 217 votes needed. He also urged that the Republican House unify around the next Speaker. “Unify—and do it fast,” he said then.
Hern’s full letter has been included below.
Dear Republican Colleagues,
After reaching out to every member of the Conference over the last week, it’s clear that there is an appetite for a new face in leadership.
I was touched by the kind words I received from members of our Conference over the last week as we all considered how to move forward as a unified body. Steve is going to make an incredible Speaker. I am proud to cast my vote for him on the House floor and encourage all of my colleagues to do the same, no matter who you supported in the Conference vote.
When my dear friend Steve is sworn in as Speaker, our Conference can finally get back to the work our constituents sent us here to do. We need a Majority Leader who will work alongside our Speaker to help move this Conference past the events of the last ten days.
I believe that my experience outside of Congress makes me uniquely qualified to lead our Majority. We need leaders who listen twice as much as they speak, who are conservative because they’ve seen the impact of Democrat policies firsthand, and who aren’t afraid to change the way things have been done around here.
Many of you are members of the Republican Study Committee, where I’ve been advancing strong conservative policies to guide our House Majority. RSC is a leader in the conference on fiscal responsibility. We’ve introduced pro-life initiatives, hosted diplomats and ambassadors from nations around the world, led energy discussions, pushed for stronger border security policies, and built stronger ties with our Republican Senate colleagues. People trust RSC as the Conference’s policy powerhouse, and I have been proud to continue that tradition.
I spent 35 years in leadership outside of Washington, DC, working with Americans across every aisle and background. The nameplate on my desk said “Head Excuse Eliminator” because I learned through years in business that empowering the people on my team to do their jobs was the most effective way to lead.
Success isn’t a given in life. It’s something you work for, something you must earn. Just like respect.
My whole life, I’ve been told I couldn’t be successful, couldn’t go to college, couldn’t become an engineer. I learned at an early age that the harder you work, the luckier you are. I paid my way through college, became an engineer, and got my dream job in aerospace. No one believed in me, but I proved them wrong.
That’s the work ethic that brought me to Congress, and my promise to you is that NO ONE will outwork me as I fight for the policy wins that will help us expand our majority, take back the Senate, and win the White House.
I’m running for Majority Leader of the Republican Conference, and I humbly ask for your support.
Thank you,
Kevin Hern
Member of Congress
