Washington DC - Steve Scalise, the Republican nominee to lead the House of Representatives, announced he was dropping out Thursday after failing to find enough support to win the election, plunging the paralyzed lower chamber of Congress deeper into crisis.

The Louisiana congressman narrowly won a secret internal Republican ballot Wednesday to replace ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy.

But it quickly became clear that he couldn't get the 217 lawmakers needed in a vote of the full House as opponents in his own party lined up to announce they would not support him.

"It's been quite a journey, and there's still a long way to go. I just shared with my colleagues that I'm withdrawing my name as a candidate for the speaker designee," Scalise said.

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The announcement ended the party's hopes for a moment of unity, prolonging a leadership vacuum that has prevented Congress from carrying out even its most basic functions for nine days since McCarthy's unprecedented removal in a mutiny by right-wing lawmakers.

No speaker vote has been scheduled, but if every Democrat and Republican were present and casting ballots, any candidate would need 217 votes to prevail - a tall order in a party that has been riven by factional infighting.

Scalise had been working frantically to win more backing as Republicans met at midday, although the discussion appeared to produce more skeptics rather than new support.

"There is no consensus candidate for speaker. We need to stay in Washington till we figure this out," Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who had endorsed Scalise, said in a social media post after the meeting. "I will no longer be voting for Scalise. I don't even think we make it to the floor."

"This country is counting on us to come back together. This House of Representatives needs a speaker, and we need to open up the House again," Scalise said. "But clearly, not everybody is there. And there's still schisms that have to get resolved."

The Republican, who has spent a decade climbing the ranks of the leadership, said he loved the job of majority leader and was "blessed beyond belief."