Fred Upton: Talk of Speaker candidacy is ‘intriguing’

As House Republicans search for a way out of the messy Speaker’s race, retired Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) swung the door open to the possibility that he could emerge as an alternative to GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) to lead the chamber.

Although Upton has avoided the suggestion in the past, The Detroit News reported Tuesday that the veteran lawmaker is interested in running for the gavel if it means putting “an end to the dysfunction that is doing so much damage to the country.”

Upton called the suggestion that he’s the person who could break the logjam “an intriguing suggestion that I have not rejected,” according to the News.

Upton, who was elected to Congress in 1987, is known as a moderate who also voted to impeach former President Trump a week after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

A scenario in which Upton becomes Speaker almost certainly involves him being a compromise candidate between Republicans and Democrats. However, Democratic members have made clear that they will only vote for new Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) in the Speaker’s race.

But Upton seems ready to offer Democrats concessions in exchange for their support. The Detroit News reported Upton is prepared to offer equal representation for Republicans and Democrats on all House committees, in a bid to incentivize Democratic support.

After McCarthy failed to secure the votes needed to win the Speakership following three rounds of voting, some Republicans pondered whether Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) could step in as the alternative. But Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) cast doubt that Scalise could win the race, instead floating Upton as another possible avenue.

McCarthy entered Wednesday with an uncertain path to victory. A group of detractors, 20 GOP members in all, blocked him from becoming Speaker on Tuesday. Later, McCarthy lobbed the idea that he could win with a lower threshold than the 218 needed to secure an outright majority of members.

Upton told reporters last month that he would not even be around for the Speaker’s vote. Instead, he said he would be on a ski trip.