McCarthy Makes Progress—Flips 15 Republican Votes As House Adjourns Until 10 P.M.

Topline

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made his first tangible progress toward becoming House speaker since voting started Tuesday, flipping the votes Friday of 15 Republicans who opposed him in earlier rounds, in a major sign of encouragement for a bid that McCarthy believes will make him speaker overnight.

Then House Minority Leader (and resident Grinch?) Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) brandishes a rebellious … [+] fist at the annual Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on December 1, 2021.

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Key Facts

The House voted 220-202 along party lines Friday to adjourn until 10 p.m., when a fourteenth round of voting is expected.

Republican Reps. Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Sanford Bishop (N.C.), Michael Cloud (Tex.), Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Byron Donalds (Fla.), Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), Mary Miller (Ill.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Scott Perry (Penn.), Chip Roy (Tex.), Keith Self (Tex.), Victoria Spartz (Ind.), Paul Gosar (Ariz.) and Andy Ogles (Tenn.) all switched their votes to McCarthy on the twelfth ballot, to thunderous applause from fellow Republicans.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) flipped to McCarthy on the thirteenth.

Norman was a member of a group of five so-called Never Kevin voters heading into the process, who vowed to vote as a bloc to keep McCarthy from becoming speaker.

McCarthy can only afford four Republican dissenters in a full House vote, but he told CNN he is confident he will win the speakership Friday night.

McCarthy had 214 votes on the thirteenth ballot, winning a plurality over Democrat Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), who had 212, while Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) gathered 6 GOP dissenter votes.

Contra

“Never Kevin” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) vowed in a speech nominating Jordan that a group of hardliners will continue to thwart McCarthy’s bid. “Mr. McCarthy doesn’t have the votes today, he will not have the votes tomorrow, and he will not have the votes next week, next month, next year,” he said.

Key Background

Several of the dissenters flipping their votes said there’s been progress in negotiations with McCarthy’s camp, which made some significant concessions to secure support, such as allowing for a “motion to vacate” that could allow the House to replace its speaker mid-term. Friday’s vote represents a major shift in momentum for McCarthy, who had been hemorrhaging support since the early rounds on Tuesday. According to Politico, some of the roughly 200 loyal backers who had voted for him on every ballot heading into Friday were beginning to grow impatient with the process, and speculation was growing an alternative candidate could be put forward, such as Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), who became the favorite in betting odds to win the speakership during earlier rounds where McCarthy struggled.

Surprising Fact

This is the first time since before the start of the Civil War that it’s taken more than nine ballots to elect a speaker. Other drawn-out votes were often over issues like the abolition of slavery, while this Congress’ point of contention is over internal rules.

Tangent

The anti-McCarthy faction has coalesced and broken away from several candidates throughout the process, starting with Jordan, then Donalds, Hern and Jordan again. Gaetz in some rounds voted for former President Donald Trump—who is technically eligible even though he is not a member of Congress—and even gave a speech nominating Trump before the eleventh round of voting.