Leadership races have much lower stakes now that the GOP has lost the House.
C alifornia Republican Kevin McCarthy has defeated House Freedom Caucus founding member Jim Jordan for the party’s top spot in the House in the upcoming Congress by a vote of 159-43.
McCarthy is currently the House Majority Leader, the No. 2 position under House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is retiring at the end of the year. Ryan made clear after he announced his retirement that McCarthy would be his handpicked successor, but it was uncertain whether McCarthy, who failed to win enough support to become speaker in 2015, would be able to garner enough votes to ascend to the position.
Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise—unanimously elected Wednesday to continue as the GOP whip in the next Congress—had been prepared to launch his own bid for speaker if McCarthy were to fall short.
That became unnecessary when Republicans lost the House on Election Day, as the race for minority leader is considered much lower stakes than the race to be speaker. McCarthy, who boasts an amiable relationship with President Donald Trump, campaigned for the role by pledging to focus on winning back the majority.
