Originally Published: 24 OCT 23 05:03 ET

Updated: 24 OCT 23 11:10 ET

By Clare Foran, Haley Talbot, Kristin Wilson and Lauren Fox, CNN

(CNN) — House Republicans are meeting Tuesday morning to pick a new speaker nominee from a crowded field, though it remains unclear whether any candidate can lock down the 217 votes needed to ultimately win the gavel.

The vote to pick a nominee is taking place behind closed doors via secret ballot. Five Republicans are in the running after Rep. Jim Jordan was pushed out of the race following three failed floor votes.

Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who is considered the front-runner, was the top vote getter in the first two rounds of balloting.

The other candidates still in the race are: Reps. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Byron Donalds of Florida and Austin Scott of Georgia.

With multiple candidates in the running, members are casting a series of successive secret ballots and the candidate who garners the fewest number of votes in each round will be dropped from the running. The winning candidate will need a majority of the conference behind them.

Reps. Jack Bergman of Michigan and Pete Sessions of Texas were out of the race after the first and second ballots.

Pressure is intensifying on House Republicans three weeks after the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which has left the House in a state of paralysis.

Emmer, who serves as majority whip, is considered the front-runner in the race. McCarthy is backing Emmer, delivering an early boost to his candidacy. But the Minnesota Republican, who voted to certify the 2020 election, could face an uphill battle, as some allies of former President Donald Trump have been critical of his candidacy. Despite a cordial phone call with the former president over the weekend, Trump reposted attacks against the House GOP whip on Truth Social Monday night.

Leaving a GOP conference meeting Monday night, Emmer told CNN, “We have a good relationship,” when asked about Trump.

Notably, winning a majority of the conference is a lower bar to clear than what’s needed to win the gavel on the floor. That requires a majority of the full chamber. Given the intense divisions within the conference and the GOP’s narrow majority, whoever emerges as the nominee will face tough vote math ahead.

House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole said on Tuesday that he had more optimism that Republicans will be able to coalesce around a candidate after weeks of “bloodletting.”

“I think people are kind of exhausted a little bit, and the bloodletting is about to stop,” said Cole, an Oklahoma Republican. “I think we’re gonna rally around somebody and have a really good candidate.”

Asked about some hardliners who have been mum when asked if they’d back Emmer if he were the nominee, Cole said at some point members have to decide enough is enough.

“If you want to be in the doghouse forever, this is about as good a way as I know to get there,” he said. “This is a time for people to rally together and get behind whoever wins the majority vote in the conference.”

Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama withdrew from the race Tuesday morning as Republicans met to cast votes for a nominee.

Republicans gathered on Monday for the candidate forum also behind closed doors. Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, who had been in the running, dropped his bid.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas told CNN’s Manu Raju on Monday, “It’s going to be very difficult, but we have to get there,” when asked how concerned he is that no candidate can get 217 votes on the floor.

And GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida warned that if the eventual nominee can’t get to 217 votes on the floor, the conference may have to work with Democrats.

“It’s, it’s not good. Because a lot of people are gonna want to – with a mind set out there, they don’t want to work with Democrats, but it might end up to be a point where that’s the only way,” Buchanan said. “We’ve got to get the government open. People are very angry, upset.”

This story has updated with updated with additional information and developments.

House Republicans are meeting Tuesday morning to pick a new speaker nominee from a crowded field, though it remains unclear whether any candidate can lock down the 217 votes needed to ultimately win the gavel.