After days of will-he-or-won’t-he for Republican Party, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) formally announced his bid for Speaker of the House in a letter to colleagues late Thursday.
“I never thought I’d be speaker. But I pledged to you that if I could be a unifying figure, then I would serve – I would go all in,” Ryan wrote in the letter. “After talking with so many of you, and hearing your words of encouragement, I believe we are ready to move forward as a one, united team. And I am ready and eager to be our speaker.”
Paul Ryan is officially running for speaker pic.twitter.com/9fqHX93oKL
— Brett LoGiurato (@BrettLoGiurato) October 22, 2015
Ryan’s candidacy was almost certain after he lined up support from all three House Republican caucuses earlier today, including the hardline conservative Freedom Caucus. Ryan said Tuesday he would only launch a bid for speaker if he could be a “unifying figure” for a divided Republican party.
