TOPEKA — Kansas congressman Tim Huelskamp has voted for Paul Ryan as House speaker after previously backing another candidate.
Huelskamp’s vote Thursday to install Ryan as the new speaker means all four members of the state’s all-GOP delegation in the chamber supported the Wisconsin Republican.
Huelskamp, who represents the Manhattan area, is a tea party favorite who represents the 1st District of western and central Kansas and backed Florida Republican Daniel Webster as late as Wednesday.
But Huelskamp said in a statement Thursday that Ryan promised to make the House less centralized and to debate major legislation only if a majority of Republicans support it.
Kansan representatives Lynn Jenkins, Mike Pompeo and Kevin Yoder also voted for Ryan.
Huelskamp clashed with former Speaker John Boehner and was stripped of an Agriculture Committee seat late in 2012.
