Rep. Peter Roskam Could Vie for GOP Leadership Post Following Boehner Announcement

Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton is expected to try for a leadership position in the House after Speaker John Boehner announced Friday he planned to resign from Congress in October, the Chicago Tribune reports.

In 2014, Roskam lost a bid for majority whip in the House, which is the No. 3 job in House leadership and is responsible for crafting the party’s message, advance its legislative agenda and count votes to make sure priorities move forward, according to the article.

Over the weekend, Roskam has been busy as he worked Saturday to drum up support to call a meeting among fellow House Republicans to talk about the future of the party, the Daily Herald reports. Early Saturday morning he sent a letter to his colleagues requesting the meeting and by the end of the day, he had gathered the necessary number of signatures to call the meeting, according to the article.

“It is not every day a sitting speaker of the House of Representatives steps down because of divisions within a deeply conflicted Republican majority. That unusual development alone should give us all great pause,” the letter reads.

David Monk, Roskam’s chief of staff, sent out his own letter on Saturday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

“This is not a contrived announcement of a leadership campaign, ” Monk wrote, “but instead a sincere attempt to prompt this conversation so we can guard against recurring issues leading to the same challenges that have led to this significant turn of events.”

Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the majority leader, is the likely favorite to fill Boehner’s spot, the New York Times reports. Roskam is only expected to eye a run for majority leader, Politico reports.

Roskam released the following statement following Boehner’s Friday announcement:

“John Boehner has had the toughest job in Washington. He led us from the darkest recesses in the minority, to the majority in the House. Today’s announcement was classic Boehner—he is putting the institution before himself. He’s been a tremendous public servant and a humble Speaker who showed the American people that in this country anyone can rise above their circumstances through hard work and determination. I am hopeful that during this season of change, House Republicans will focus on a plan to get us out of our dysfunctional state, and not just settle for a change in ranks.”

• Read More: U.S. Speaker John Boehner to Resign

Roskam lives in Wheaton with his wife, Elizabeth. The two have four children.