Jason Chaffetz says he's out of the speaker's race and supporting Paul Ryan

Rep. Jason Chaffetz of (R-Utah) announced on Twitter he is out of the running for speaker of the House, and throwing his support behind Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R).

On Tuesday, Ryan said if he can get the party to rally behind him and agree to some conditions — including that he will not give up time with his family — he will "gladly serve" as speaker. His spokesman said Ryan has asked his colleagues to let him know if they agree to his requests by Friday.

Chaffetz told reporters that "part of the reason I was running was because Paul Ryan wasn't," and he doesn't regret entering the race. "I always knew it'd be a long shot at best," he said, adding that if he had won, it would have been capturing "lightning in a bottle."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up