Hardline conservatives are abandoning their plan to nominate a challenger to Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) bid for the gavel during Wednesday's internal House GOP elections, opting for a different protest strategy to showcase resistance to his leadership, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill.

The plan B — which members of the House Freedom Caucus are plotting — would involve forcing a secret, recorded vote on Johnson's nomination, according to the sources, who were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations.

Because Johnson is running unopposed, the conference could nominate him for the top job by voice vote, which Republicans did in 2016 to give former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) the nod. Hardliners, however, want to force a recorded vote—and avoid a voice vote—to make their reservations regarding Johnson's leadership clear. One of the sources said members would have the ability to write in a candidate if they wanted to.

The strategy is a change from Tuesday afternoon when conservatives were discussing plans to nominate........

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