The new House GOP majority is at loggerheads over who should be the next speaker of the House of Representatives. Republican Kevin McCarthy, the big favorite, failed miserably to secure the necessary support within the caucuses to secure the win after three rounds of voting on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Voting will resume at noon on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, When The House reconvenes.
McCarthy needed 218 votes, but after three rounds of voting, his highest vote count was 203. Many critics said McCarthy should drop out. But his allies are adamant that he’s not dropping out, regardless of the opposition from a small but determined contingent of hardline conservatives who will stop at nothing to deny him the votes needed to secure the gavel.
McCarthy’s failure to lock down the 218 votes has raised concerns over whether he can win or if a viable candidate could emerge as an alternative. The last time an election for speaker went to multiple ballots was in 1923.