In a vote of confidence in Paul D. Ryan and a show of eagerness to resign as planned on Oct. 31, Speaker John A. Boehner has scheduled a conference meeting for next Wednesday, Oct. 28, for House Republicans to nominate his successor.  

A vote on the House floor among all members will still take place on Thursday, Oct. 29, as previously announced. Boehner made the announcement of the conference election date early Wednesday morning during the conference’s weekly members’ meeting, according to multiple sources in the room at the time.  

Ryan, R-Wis., the Ways and Means chairman and 2012 vice presidential nominee, told colleagues nearly 12 hours earlier he was prepared to run for speaker if he could be a consensus candidate , and would decide by Friday whether he would be able to serve with support from the Freedom Caucus, the Republican Study Committee and the moderate Tuesday Group.

Timeline: To Be (or Not to Be) Speaker

Ryan will start those meetings Wednesday, with a 12:30 p.m. scheduled conversation with the RSC already on his agenda. While he seems poised to win endorsements from that contingent and the Tuesday Group, he is already facing stiff opposition from the HFC , who don’t believe Ryan will be willing to make their desired procedural and structural changes to make the conference power center more inclusive.  

If Ryan decides not to run, it’s unclear whether Boehner would rethink the date for both speaker elections. Many members who had previously expressed interest in seeking the speakership said last night they were dropping out in deference to Ryan, while Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., remains the favorite of many conservatives on and off Capitol Hill.