Ryan grateful for conservative support in House speaker race

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, who is weighing whether to run for speaker of the House, applauded the support on Wednesday of most members of the hardline "Freedom Caucus," saying it would help unify Republicans. "I’m grateful for the support of a super majority of the House Freedom Caucus. I look forward to hearing from the other two caucuses by the end of the week, but I believe this is a positive step toward a unified Republican team," Ryan said in a statement. Ryan is now considered the front-runner to replace House Speaker John Boehner, who is set to retire on Oct. 30. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Peter Cooney)