Shimkus, Davis Backing GOP Colleague Ryan For House Speaker

Both 13th District Congressman John Shimkus and 15th District GOP colleague Rodney Davis believe their Republican colleague Paul Ryan is the best person to serve as the next U.S. Speaker of the House.

Shimkus, who's from Collinsville, said Ryan, the nine-term Congressman from Wisconsin, is the only person with both the brand identity in the GOP and the ability to work with members of the Tea Party.

“Republicans... and I bet a lot of Democrats, are saying ‘he’s a guy we know we trust, we can work with him," Shimkus said, in an appearance at the University of Illinois Thursday.  "They too know that we need to govern, and to govern we have to have some leadership, and we have a leadership void right now.”

Ryan has cited family concerns as he weighs whether to run - something both Shimkus, and Davis, who's from Taylorville, say they can appreciate.

“I think Paul is somebody who can be a consensus candidate," Davis told reporters in a conference call after returning from an agricultural trade mission in Cuba.  "And I think he’ll eventually be the speaker.  But he’s got to do what’s best for his family, and I respect that.”

Shimkus said there’s no one else of Ryan’s stature who can take on the job of House Speaker and unite the party behind him.  The 10-term Congressman said he’s not interested in the job himself.