Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) has officially entered the race for House Majority Leader, and will face Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for the chance to succeed Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), who lost his congressional primary this week and will be stepping down by the end of July.
Labrador’s entry, reported by Politico, comes after Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) backed out of the race, stressing the need to avoid “division” in the Republican Party.
House Conservatives had hoped to contest a major leadership office, especially in the wake of Cantor’s defeat by conservative Dave Brat, and after leadership elections in 2011 and 2013 failed to elevate any Tea Party members to senior positions in the caucus.
Labrador, who is Latino, is also an opponent of “comprehensive” immigration reform as passed by the Senate–a key issue in Cantor’s primary–and withdrew from bipartisan talks last year.
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