Initial odds favor McHenry, Scalise, and Emmer for speaker

The early odds for the next House speaker favor several Republican leaders already eyeing the race and a few long shots, including former President Donald Trump and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

An oddsmaker with Bookies.com has put interim Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-NC) on top, but the odds show that it clearly will be a fight.

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Already, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) have indicated they want to run.

Trump is running to win back the White House but has also flashed a thumbs up on taking the job. “A lot of people have been calling me about speaker,” Trump said Wednesday. “All I can say is we will do whatever is best for the country and other Republican Party and people.”

McHenry has won fans by booting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her hideaway office near the House floor, though indications are he won’t run for the job.

But he could be a compromise candidate. GOP consultant and former House communicator Ron Bonjean said that McHenry is a solid choice.

“Patrick McHenry being the speaker pro tempore, that’s good. He’s a top choice for a speaker anyway, most of the House Republicans like him, and he is viewed as a solid actor by the Freedom Caucus. And he’s someone that is true to his word,” said Bonjean, the co-founder of ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan communications firm, and the former spokesman to both former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.

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House Republicans are expected to start the speaker election next week.

The odds from Bookies.com:

• Rep. Patrick McHenry, North Carolina +500 (16.7%).
• Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana, +650 (13.3%).
• Rep. Tom Emmer, Minnesota, +750 (11.8%).
• Rep. Garrett Graves, Louisiana, +850 (10.5%).
• Rep. Tom Cole, Oklahoma, +900 (10.0%).
• Rep. Richard Hudson, North Carolina, +1000 (9.1%).
• Rep. Adrian Smith, Nebraska, +1100 (8.3%).
• Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio, +1200 (7.7%).
• Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida, +1500 (6.3%).
• Rep. Elise Stefanik, New York, +1750 (5.4%).
• Rep. John Joyce, Pennsylvania, +2000 (4.8%)
• Robert Wittman, Virginia +2500 (3.9%).
• Former President Donald Trump, +5000 (2%).
• Sarah Palin, +9900 (1.0%).