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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy won the GOP nomination to be the next speaker of the House on Tuesday, though a concerted effort by House conservatives to block McCarthy may force him to appeal to Democrats or bow out of the contest.
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy nominated Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, to challenge McCarthy as head of the House Republican caucus. McCarthy won the contest in a 188-31 vote. McCarthy will need to secure at least 218 votes in January to become the next speaker of the House.
Biggs and Roy orchestrated the challenge as conservatives in the House tried to unseat McCarthy over the direction of the caucus and the results of the 2022 midterm election. The election results in which Republicans appear set to eke out a slim majority of about 220 seats disappointed and frustrated many Republicans. McCarthy has argued that Republicans need unity to solidify their likely small majority.
“It’s going to be a tight majority so everyone is going to have to work together,” McCarthy said late Monday after a meeting with House Republicans.
