Former British Minister of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak leads the race to replace United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson after the fourth round Tuesday, heading into the final vote from the Conservative members of Parliament on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Trade Policy Penny Mordaunt remained in second with 92 votes, and former Foreign Secretary Liz Truss remained in third with 86 at the end of Tuesday’s vote, according to the Associated Press. Kemi Badenoch, a lesser known conservative member of Parliament, was eliminated after receiving the lowest amount of votes.

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Truss and Mordaunt will attempt to rally votes ahead of Wednesday’s conclusion that previously went to Badenoch, and Tom Tugendhat, who was eliminated in Monday’s vote.

Sunak, who emerged as the front-runner at the conclusion of the first round last week, has not received the 120 votes needed to secure a place in the final two, that will be voted on by all 180,000 members of the Conservative Party in September, but is still expected to advance. Sunak’s lead also lost steam Tuesday after only gaining three votes between Monday and Tuesday’s votes, which increased his numbers from 115 to 118. Mordaunt and Truss saw bigger increases, with Mordaunt gaining 10 votes and Truss gaining 15, making the race close for all three candidates.

Sunak, who was a staunch supporter of Johnson’s for most of his administration, has faced criticism for raising taxes as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Associated Press. However, Sunak dismissed the criticisms as “economic fairytales.” Truss has also come under fire after commenting that she would change the Bank of England mandate and said the government should place a “clear direction of travel” for monetary policy, according to Reuters.

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The race gained prominence after Johnson announced he would be resigning as Conservative Party Leader earlier this month, following a mass exodus from members of his administration, including Sunak, who resigned as Treasury chief, amid multiple scandals. Johnson remains as prime minister until the next leader is selected. His final day in office is expected to be Sept. 6, after the final votes are counted on Sept. 5.

Original Location: Rishi Sunak holds lead in UK prime minister race heading into final vote

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