Missouri House Republicans are vying to become majority leader after the resignation of the former speaker led to a leadership shuffle.
Rep. Caleb Rowden of Columbia on Wednesday said he'll run against Assistant Majority Leader Mike Cierpiot, the current second-in-command from Lee's Summit.
Rep. Todd Richardson left the majority leader post open upon his election as speaker. Former Speaker John Diehl resigned last week after acknowledging exchanging sexually suggestive text messages with an intern.
The majority leader determines if, when and how long House members debate bills. It's considered a stepping stone to speaker, the House's top position.
While Rowden was the first to publicly announce a bid for majority leader against Cierpiot, others likely will join the race.
Republicans are expected to vote at the end of July.
