It's official: Jason Chaffetz to make run for House speaker


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SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, announced Sunday that he is making a dark horse run at House speaker against Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to lead the way in "tackling the toughest issues" facing the United States.

Chaffetz, first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008 in a 3rd District run that ousted incumbent Chris Cannon, chairs the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

"We are entrusted with the largest majority the Republicans have ever had since Babe Ruth was swinging a baseball bat," Chaffetz said during his official announcement on "Fox News Sunday." "But they did not send us here to perpetuate the status quo. They want us to tackle the tough issues. They want us to fight, they want us to take that fight to the Senate. They want us to take that fight to the president and they want us to take that fight to the American people."

The announcement comes a week after the abrupt and surprise decision from House Speaker John Boehner to resign. A closed-caucus vote on the nominee will take place Thursday before a vote by the full House at the end of the month

Chaffetz, 48, said McCarthy, from California, is a "good man," but added that he lacks the support of a growing number of House GOP members who "will not and cannot vote" for him.

"That is why I am offering myself as a candidate to try to bridge that divide. I think those 50 plus people will find that I am a fair, even-balanced person that I can bridge that divide between our more centrist members and some of our more right-wing members. That is why I have entered this race."

Chaffetz said he believes he can unite the GOP members of the House — appealing to the more conservative-minded representatives unlike McCarthy.

"I think the American public wants to see a change. They want a fresh start. There is a reason why we see this phenomenon across the country and you don't just give an automatic promotion to the existing leadership team. That doesn't signal change. I think they want a fresh change and fresh new person who is actually there at the leadership table in the speaker's role."

McCarthy has been in House leadership since 2009, Chaffetz noted, and the "internal strife isn't getting better, it's getting worse."

Chaffetz said he decided to make a bid to become House speaker post after being approached and recruited by some of his colleagues.

"I didn't wake up last week and think I was going to run for speaker," he said. "I am not there to perpetuate the status quo. I am not there just to do what (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell or the president wants us to do. That is not what we were elected to do."


We are entrusted with the largest majority the Republicans have ever had since Babe Ruth was swinging a baseball bat. But they did not send us here to perpetuate the status quo. They want us to tackle the tough issues. They want us to fight, they want us to take that fight to the Senate. They want us to take that fight to the president and they want us to take that fight to the American people.

–Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah


When asked by program host Chris Wallace if he would be more "confrontational" than Boehner or McCarthy, Chaffetz was blunt.

"You want a speaker who speaks. You need somebody who is out there, who is actually making the case to the American people, talking to the Senate about what we need to do and going on national television shows and winning that argument. We don't seem to win the argument, and that's a problem."

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, greeted the news with excitement.

"Jason Chaffetz has a unique set of political skills that would make a terrific speaker, and wouldn't it be amazing to have someone from Utah?"

Justin Harding, Gov. Gary Herbert's chief of staff and a former chief of staff to Chaffetz, said the congressman would not enter the race without great consideration.

He, too, believes Chaffetz would be a "wonderful" speaker.

"Knowing Jason as I do, he would not enter into this lightly," Harding said. "He's not throwing a Hail Mary pass. He likely believes that there is a pathway, either within the (Republican) conference or when it comes to the vote within the entire House of Representatives, and he likely has a block of votes that he can either deliver on his behalf, or if things don't propel him to victory, that he can deliver on behalf of whomever will be the newly elected speaker."

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Amy Joi O'Donoghue

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