Chicago congressman vies for majority whip position

WASHINGTON (WLS) -- Illinois Rep. Peter Roskam made his case to move into the House majority whip position as the Republican party restructures in the aftermath of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's unexpected loss in his primary.

California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the current majority whip, is expected to take Cantor's place as majority leader, leaving the third most powerful position up for grabs.

Roskam is currently McCarthy's chief deputy, and is expected to make the case that he already knows the job and can count votes. He's promised to appoint a red-state lawmaker as his own chief deputy, should he secure the majority whip position, in order to counter arguments that there's a lack of regional representation by red-state Republicans.

Roskam's primary competition is Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a red-state Southern conservative who has presented himself as a strong conservative who nonetheless can work with establishment-aligned leaders. He must also defeat Indiana Rep. Malin Stutzman, a late entrant to the contest who is supported by a some Tea Party figures in the House and other allies who, like him, were elected in the GOP wave election of 2010.

Some House Republicans are concerned that Stutzman may split the conservative vote with Scalise, opening a path for Roskam.

Roskam, along with the others, will make his case to the Republican rank-and-file Wednesday. They will vote Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.