Cantor’s loss will unleash a flood of members seeking to move up in the ranks. The GOP leadership scramble

House Republicans will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Majority Leader Eric Cantor was defeated in his primary race.

The meeting was announced as the House begins to grapple with one of the most unforeseen instances of the toppling of a congressional leader in recent political history.


As Cantor (R-Va.) meets with aides in his Capitol suite, the leadership scramble is shifting into high gear.

House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions is making an aggressive play for the No. 2 spot. The Texas Republican has been calling and emailing lawmakers seeking support for a potential bid to replace Cantor, according to several sources and a Sessions aide. He sent out a mass text message Tuesday night seeking support.

( Full results from Virginia)

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, the chamber’s No. 3 Republican, has also been speaking with a lot of members. But McCarthy will not engage in a formal campaign until Cantor makes a decision about whether he will stay in leadership for the duration of his term — one of the biggest unanswered questions on Wednesday.

The strategy for McCarthy of California is to make his ascension appear to be the most logical choice for Republicans. He and Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling, another possible contender for the majority leader position, spoke by phone Tuesday night, according to a GOP source familiar with the conversation. The two have a friendly relationship and discussed the leadership situation. But it is unclear if there was any resolution from the discussion.

Reps. Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) are also considered potential contenders for the majority leader position. Jordan has already made calls to some lawmakers.

GOP Vice Chair Lynn Jenkins (Kansas) would also consider moving up, according to a GOP source.

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“I am humbled by the many people who have approached me about serving our Republican Conference in a different capacity in the future,” Hensarling said. “There are many ways to advance the causes of freedom and free enterprise, and I am prayerfully considering the best way I can serve in those efforts.”

Several GOP sources said that conservative lawmakers could ask for Cantor to step down immediately as majority leader. There is no discussion of a challenge to Speaker John Boehner, who has been the subject of speculation about whether he will retire after the election or in the next Congress.

For months, there has been intense jockeying among Republicans for a seat at the leadership table — amplified by uncertainty over whether Speaker John Boehner would retain the gavel in the next Congress. The positioning wasn’t going to explode into the public until after the midterms but Cantor’s shocking primary loss on Tuesday upended that timetable.

( PHOTOS: Scenes from Eric Cantor HQ)

Cantor arrived at the Capitol early Wednesday morning and addressed his fellow Republican leaders in a private meeting. He was pragmatic about the loss and took it in stride while GOP leaders offered their condolences, according to a source in the meeting. GOP insiders said the Virginia Republican is worried about his staff as many expect that he will step down as leader in the near future.

Until a formal announcement is made, Cantor’s fate will dominate what will happen on the floor and inside the GOP Conference over the next days and weeks.

If members ask for Cantor to resign his post this year, it will likely be on a member-by-member basis. Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp, who has been a consistent critic of Republican leadership, said he would not ask Cantor to step-down early.

“I don’t think much is going to happen the rest of the year. I haven’t thought about him resigning, he has a job to do and he’s got to finish it up,” said Huelskamp.

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Huelskamp led the effort in 2012 to oust Boehner as speaker and has been drumming up opposition since to usher in a new set of GOP leaders.

So far, Cantor has not made an announcement about whether he plans to stay in leadership or step down. Cantor planned to meet with his unofficial “kitchen cabinet” of closest allies on Wednesday but the huddle was canceled.

Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise and Illinois Rep. Peter Roskam have all but openly declared they are running for the whip slot. Both lawmakers have been reaching out to people, but have not formally announced bids for the slot.

Scalise aggressively began texting and calling members Tuesday evening to begin formulating a whip count, sources said.

McMorris Rodgers has signaled interest to her allies in both the majority leader and whip slot. She said she was “talking to a lot of people.” But sources close to her added that she has not yet made a decision to run for majority leader or whip.

Other potential whips include Sessions and Georgia Rep. Tom Price.

If leadership races happen in the near term, it could play well for McCarthy and Roskam, who both already have whip teams in place and have been working to curry favor with lawmakers for months.