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- GOP Rep. Kevin Hern, a former McDonald's franchise owner, wants to be House Majority Leader.
- So he's handing out Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles to his fellow Republicans to win them over.
- It's not clear if every GOP office received a breakfast sandwich from the Oklahoma congressman.
Rep. Kevin Hern wants to be the next House Majority Leader, and he's got at least one unconventional trick up his sleeve to try to pull it off: McDonald's.
First elected to Congress in 2018, the Oklahoma Republican was previously the owner of several McDonald's franchises, earning him the moniker "McCongressman."
Earlier this year, he said that the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 "cut short" his dreams of becoming an astronaut, leading him eventually towards entering the fast food industry.
—Congressman Kevin Hern (@repkevinhern) March 3, 2023
According to reporters from Washington Examiner and Punchbowl, Hern is now distributing breakfast sandwiches — more precisely, Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles — not House Republican offices as he seeks to lead the conference.
—Mica Soellner (@MicaSoellnerDC) October 12, 2023
It was not immediately clear whether all Republican offices had received the sandwiches.
"I fucking wish," one House GOP staffer told Insider via text when asked if they'd received a delivery.
"Pissed," a staffer from another House GOP office wrote, saying they also hadn't received any McGriddles.
—Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) April 26, 2023
Hern, the current chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, launched his campaign for majority leader on Wednesday after House Republicans nominated current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise to replace McCarthy as speaker.
Hern told colleagues in a letter that his "experience of Congress makes me uniquely qualified to lead our majority."
—Congressman Kevin Hern (@repkevinhern) October 11, 2023
The race to become majority leader is likely to be more crowded than the two-man speaker's race, with Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and Elise Stefanik of New York all rumored to be considering their own bids.
It is unclear when the election will take place. The party technically hasn't settled on Scalise as the new speaker quite yet, with several holdouts raising objections that could take days to iron out.
A spokesperson for Hern did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.