Kevin McCarthy Elected Speaker of the House on 15th Vote
On the 15th vote, Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California has finally been elected speaker of the House.McCarthy won a majority of votes cast shortly after midnight as Friday segued into Saturday.
Republicans had voted against adjourning until Monday after McCarthy fell one vote short on the 14th tally. He has been majority and minority leader in the House, but his bid to become speaker now that the Republicans again have a majority drew opposition from the extreme right wing of his party.McCarthy won the speakership with 216 votes to Democrat Hakeem Jeffries’s 212.
The speaker must win a majority of votes cast; “present” votes don’t count as votes cast, and six Republicans voting “present,” lowering the total needed to achieve a majority.
All Democrats had consistently voted for Jeffries.The speaker is tasked with setting the House’s agenda, and the House could conduct no other business in its new session until a speaker was chosen.
