Kevin McCarthy falls short of House speaker win on first ballot
WASHINGTON — House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy failed to attain the required votes to become the chamber’s speaker on the first ballot Tuesday, necessitating a second vote for the first time in 100 years.
McCarthy (R-Calif.), who could only lose four Republican members and still attain the required 218 votes, watched in the House chamber as 19 GOPers supported for other candidates.
Ten of those voted for right-wing Rep.-elect Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) — Biggs himself, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Eli Crane of Arizona, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Matt Rosendale of Montana.
Six other members — Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Mike Cloud of Texas, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Mary Miller of Illinois, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, and Keith Self of Texas — voted for Rep.-elect Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Rep.-elect Josh Breechen of Oklahoma supported Jim Banks of Indiana and Andy Harris of Maryland backed New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin. Rep-elect Chip Roy of Texas cast his vote for colleague Byron Donalds of Florida.
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All 212 Democrats in the chamber supported Brooklyn and Queens Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the first black leader of either party in the House.
McCarthy himself got 203 votes, and his supporters signaled a willingness to go through multiple ballots to ensure he got the gavel.
“No matter how many times it takes, McCarthy,” Brooklyn and Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis announced to the chamber as she cast her vote.
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