Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana has the best odds of becoming the next speaker of the House, according to one gambling outfit.
BetOnline’s odds give Mr. Scalise a +120 chance of becoming speaker, giving him a slight advantage over Rep Kevin McCarthy, who came in at +140 after he fell short for a fourth time to capture the post.
The betting website says the other favorites are Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York, +1000; Jim Jordan of Ohio, +1200; and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, +2000.
Former President Donald Trump comes in at +3300.
For his part, Mr. Scalise, a favorite of rank-and-file conservatives, has been an adamant supporter of Mr. McCarthy and has urged his colleagues to join him.
The House for a second day on Wednesday continued to wrestle over the question of who will capture the speaker’s gavel in the new Congress.
Mr. McCarthy failed to win over 20 conservative holdouts. Before the fourth round of voting, oddsmakers pegged Mr. McCarthy’s odds at +125.
The last time the House needed more than a single round of voting to tap a speaker was 100 years ago.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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