Byron Donalds running for speaker of the House

Florida Congressman Byron Donalds is throwing his name into the hat to become the new speaker of the House.

A spokesperson from Donalds’ office confirmed with WINK News reporter Claire Galt on Friday that Donalds is running for the position that would put him in line for the presidency behind the Vice President.

The news of Donalds running comes just a few hours after Republicans dropped Ohio’s Jim Jordan as their nominee.

U.S. Congressman Cory Mills, also a Florida representative, took to X to announce his support for Donalds as the next speaker.

I supported @Jim_Jordan for our next Speaker. Unfortunately my votes for him on the floor and in conference to remain Speaker designate was not enough.

I now support @ByronDonalds for the next Speaker of the House 🇺🇸 — Cory Mills (@CoryMillsFL) October 20, 2023

U.S. Congressman and Florida rep. Mario Diaz-Balart posted on X showcasing support for Byron Donalds as the next speaker.

. @ByronDonalds is an honorable leader and respected by the entire conference. That is why it is a privilege to endorse Byron for speaker.

— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) October 20, 2023

Two hours after Congressman Mills published a post supporting Donalds for Speaker, Congressman Diaz-Balart followed suit.

The House of Representatives has been without a speaker for 17 days. That’s the amount of time since Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz led the charge to oust Kevin McCarthy, the former speaker of the House.

Byron Donalds is a Republican congressman and represents Southwest Florida District 19.

This is a developing story, and WINK News will update this article with more information when it becomes available.