House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has dropped out of the race to become the next House speaker.

“I just shared with my colleagues that I’m withdrawing my name as a candidate for speaker-designee,” the Louisiana Republican told reporters Thursday after a meeting with the GOP conference.

Scalise, who has touted his ability to build coalitions and unite Republicans, struggled to gain support from members of the fractured GOP conference even after winning a secret ballot election on Wednesday to become the speaker designate. 

“I was very clear we have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs, this country is counting on us to come back together,” Scalise said. 

“But there’s some folks that really need to look in the mirror over the next couple of days and decide are we going to get it back on track, or they’re going to try to pursue their own agenda,” he added.

He explained that “there are still schisms that have to get resolved.”

Scalise, 57, did not say whether or not he planned on endorsing House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), whom he edged out 113-99 in the closed-door ballot for the speakership nomination. 

The Louisiana Republican, who has represented the Bayou State’s 1st Congressional District in the lower chamber since 2008, noted that he intends to keep his post as majority leader. 

Scalise’s failure to secure the 217 GOP votes needed to be elected on the House floor comes after more than three hours of behind-closed-door debates that took place at the Capitol on Thursday. 

Before his surprising withdrawal, dozens of members indicated that they intended to remain loyal to Jordan, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, or Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who on Oct. 3 became the first House Speaker in history to be removed after eight Republicans joined with every Democrat to vote him out.

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“It’s not an easy task,” McCarthy predicted Thursday, when asked by reporters about Scalise’s path forward.

“He told a lot of people he was going to be at 150 [conference votes] and he wasn’t there,” the former speaker added, noting “it’s a big hill” to climb. 

Scalise was adamant during his withdrawal speech that he didn’t want to be seen as an impediment to getting a new speaker elected.

“I never came here for a title,” he said. “And it’s much bigger than me and it’s much bigger than anybody else and nobody’s going to use me as an excuse to hold back our ability to get the House opened again.”

“But it wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t gonna happen today, it wasn’t gonna happen tomorrow.”

Rep. Dan Meuser (D-Pa.), a Jordan supporter, praised Scalise for stepping aside amid the discord within the conference. 

“He put the country ahead of himself,” Meuser told reporters. 

With Scalise out, Jordan seems likely to contest for the nomination again, and one lawmaker suggested that he should be made speaker “tonight.” 

“Jim Jordan is the obvious choice for the conference,” Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said.

“He’s the only man in the room that can rally 217 votes.”

“The best thing Republicans can do is get behind him, make him the speaker, do it tonight,” he implored fellow members. 

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC)  adjourned the House shortly after Scalise’s announcement until 9 a.m. Friday.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) echoed both Meuser and Banks, calling Scalise a selfless statesman and urging the party to quickly nominate a speaker. 

“I am asking members of the GOP to return to Washington so that we can nominate a Speaker,” Luna tweeted. “Scalise is a statesman and acted in true selfless fashion by stepping aside. This needs to happen.”

The Florida lawmaker floated Jordan, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) as possible options for the GOP. 

Hern, who had been campaigning to replace Scalise as House Majority Leader, indicated that he would not seek the speakership. 

The GOP conference will reportedly meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday and possibly consider new speaker candidates. 

“I anticipate, yes,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told reporters when asked if he expects someone to challenge Jordan for the nomination, adding that McCarthy’s name was “tossed around.” 

Scalise, who said he made “no deals with anybody” prior to dropping out, told reporters that he expects “a lot of people” to consider running for speaker after his exit.

“But it’s got to be people that aren’t doing it for themselves and their own personal interests,” he added.