Rep. Pete Sessions has made it known, he plans to run for House Majority Whip, the third-most powerful position in House leadership.
In an email to the GOP Conference titled "Working Together to Sell the Fight," Sessions (R-TX, 32nd District) said, "if given the opportunity, I plan to run for Majority Whip so we can work together and put our conference on the right path to fight for our conservative principles on behalf of the American people."
Sessions, who has been in Congress for 19 years, pointed to his current role as Chairman of the House Rules Committee and as former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
"I know how to build a successful member-driven institution because that’s exactly what we did at the NRCC and what we have done at the Rules Committee. Our next Whip needs to demonstrate bold leadership that pays attention to process and the people involved in that process. Our next Whip also needs to unite and strengthen our conference based upon the ideas of all of our members."
U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA, 1st District), the current GOP Whip, is giving up his seat to run for House Majority Leader, after U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH, 8th District) announced he'll give up his seat at the end of October.
North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry and Florida Rep. Dennis Ross have already thrown their hats in the ring for the Majority Whip job.
Congressmen Sessions tells NBC 5 that he has been making calls, lining up votes.
"I think we've got some bit of an advantage and some bit of a disadvantage. The advantage is that I have a vast background, more than anybody else in this race, of understanding how to put together teams and solve problems," said Sessions. "I've got a downside and that is that this guy that I am running against, the primary one Patrick McHenry existed as the chief deputy whip over the entire whip team. That is a lot of people that have a lot of influence. And he obviously got them very early on, and so I am not behind but I have a lot of ground to cover."
Sessions closed the email by saying "I humbly ask for your support for Majority Whip so that I can use my experiences and skills to best serve our conference."
