Rep. Byron Donalds Nominated for House Speaker, Sparking Debate About Role of Race in House of Representatives

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was thrust into the spotlight Wednesday as three of Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) detractors nominated him to be speaker in three subsequent rounds of voting. Donalds received 20 votes for the speakership in the fourth and fifth rounds of voting, garnering support from 20 of his fellow Republicans.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) nominated Donalds in the fourth round of voting, referencing civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and saying that Republicans “do not seek to judge people by the color of their skin, but rather the content of their character.” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) followed suit in the fifth and sixth rounds of voting, respectively.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) criticized Republicans for claiming to advance racial equality amid their infighting in the House of Representatives, saying they were using her fellow Black lawmaker Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) as “a prop.”