Rep. Louie Gohmert is one of three candidates for chairman of the Republican Study Committee. (Alex Wong/Getty)
WASHINGTON – The race to chair the Republican Study Committee for the 114th Congress is down to three candidates, including two Texans.
Bill Flores of Bryan, Louie Gohmert of Tyler, and Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina are running for chairman of the influential conservative bloc, according to an RSC aide.
The Hill reports today that Flores and Mulvaney are the two main contenders, with Mulvaney leading, and Gohmert a distant third.
The RSC chairman is not an official member of House Republican leadership. But more than two-thirds of House Republicans are members, including every Texan.
Gohmert, who is known for his outspoken and sometimes outlandish style, announced his candidacy in June.
The same month, Flores told The News that “Louie has said a lot of things publicly that I think could cause him some heartburn with the Republican Study Committee as a whole.”
Previous RSC chairmen have risen to other leadership positions.
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana gave up the chairmanship this summer to become Majority Whip, the No. 3 spot in the House. The position became open after former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost a primary in Virginia and resigned.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Dallas chaired the RSC from 2007 through 2008. He went on to chair the House Republican Conference from 2011 to 2013 –the No. 4 post — and now chairs the House Financial Services Committee.
Hensarling is backing Mulvaney in the RSC election, according to The Hill. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
The group favors a conservative agenda. Its main policy initiatives include a simplified tax code, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and increasing defense spending.