'Dark Horse' Hops Into Race to Succeed Boehner

As Kevin McCarthy's bid to succeed John Boehner as speaker of the House seems slightly less inevitable, the race got a new entrant Sunday in the form of Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee. "There are very few people who can win the support of our hardcore conservatives and yet be palatable to our more moderate members," he tells Politico, which terms Chaffetz's a "dark-horse campaign." "The question is who can help unite the party and bridge the divide and I hope they see me as the person that will give everyone a fair shake." With 218 votes needed to gain the speakership, Chaffetz claims "math is the biggest challenge" for McCarthy; Chaffetz's own support is unclear, though Politico notes he's "a respected figure among the rank-and-file." (More Jason Chaffetz stories.)