Kevin McCarthy is Republican nominee for House speaker
Kevin McCarthy
With Republicans all set to regain control of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy has been nominated by the party to be speaker in the new Congress. He secured 188 votes in a closed-door vote held on Tuesday. "House Republicans have elected Kevin McCarthy as our nominee for speaker for the 118th Congress," House Republicans said via Twitter.
"The era of one-party Democrat rule is over," the 57-year-old congressman from California, a senior member of House Republican leadership since 2014, said.
He left behind Andy Biggs, a member of the influential far-right Freedom Caucus, in the race. However, potential far-right defections might make the road treacherous for McCarthy when the full chamber votes in January. The party's conservative wing has already made clear it will set conditions before supporting McCarthy.
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He needs to win a majority vote, that is 218 votes, of the full House in January to become speaker. He will replace Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
McCarthy had officially declared his candidacy last week in a letter to House Republicans. He had previously stood for the position in 2015, but had to withdraw following some confusion. He became House minority leader after the 2018 midterms after Republicans lost control of the House.
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McCarthy also reportedly had a heated phone call with Trump during the January 6 Capitol riots and asked him to tell protesters to go home. He later visited Trump his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to mend things with the former president.
Meanwhile, Democrats have managed to hold on to the Senate after the midterm elections. But even though the Republicans look on course to win the House, with votes still being counted, their majority in the 118th Congress is expected to be extremely thin.
The floor vote will take place on January 3, when the House of Representatives' 435 newly elected members will choose their speaker.
(With inputs from agencies)
