For the first time in more than 100 years, the House of Representatives will need more than one round of voting to choose its next speaker.
An unidentified voice rang out from the House floor, “Let the show begin,” as the 118th Congress was gaveled in shortly after noon.
It was the last time Rep. Nancy Pelosi would sit in the speaker's chair. But there was an air of uncertainty coming from Republicans. George Santos, R-N.Y., sat by himself in the back of the House chamber, with colleagues from both parties demanding answers for his fabrications and embellishments. Near the center of the House floor, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., looked on pensively.
From there, things got worse.
House Democrats nominated Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker, the leader of their caucus. They voted against McCarthy en masse, leaving him almost no room for error.
McCarthy received more votes than his Republican challengers though he's on track to receive fewer votes than Jeffries. However, Jeffries needs an outright majority to win the speakership, something the Democrats don't have.
Early in the roll call, Dan Bishop, R-N.C., voted for Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., voted for Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, followed by Andy Biggs, who unsurprisingly voted for himself.
When Michael Cloud, R-Texas, announced his vote for Jim Jordan, it became clear that McCarthy didn't have the votes to win the first ballot unless several members decided to change their vote.
By the time Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., 10 Republicans had already voted against McCarthy.
Ultimately, 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy.
Speaking to reporters after a last-minute Republican caucus meeting this morning, McCarthy called his opponents he had failed to woo a “few individuals that want something for themselves,” putting their desires above the interests of the Republican Party.
A Party Divided
Criticisms of McCarthy are remarkably similar within the GOP's several factions. They paint an unflattering picture of a man who will do anything to gain power.
Efforts to support McCarthy's flagging campaign accelerated in recent days, propped up by the majority of House Republicans and prominent allies.
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