Republican members of the Alabama House of Representatives caucused on Tuesday and agreed to support Mac McCutcheon of Monrovia, near Hunts-ville, as the new Speaker of the House.

The caucus met in an almost four-hour, closed-door meeting at the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association building in Montgomery. Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia, also was among the six candidates vying for the job.

McCutcheon has served in the House since 2006, and most recently chaired the powerful Rules Committee, which determines the daily agenda of bills when the legislature is in session.

McCutcheon is retired from the City of Huntsville and has worked in several areas of law enforcement. He also has been a farmer.

A new Speaker will be officially elected when the legislature convenes in special session to consider a lottery on Mon., Aug. 15. The office became open earlier this summer when a Lee County jury convicted former Rep. Mike Hubbard of 12 felony ethics violations in June.