Restive Republicans Complicate McCarthy’s Path to House Speaker
- McCarthy takes some blame for not delivering sizable majority
- Republicans on track for extremely narrow majority in House
Kevin McCarthy speaks during an election night watch party at the Westin Hotel in Washington, DC, on Nov. 9.
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The unexpectedly poor showing by Republicans in Tuesday’s midterm elections has complicated Kevin McCarthy’s plans to become speaker of the US House, with a restive conservative wing raising questions about whether he has the votes for the post should the GOP win a narrow majority.
“It takes 218 votes” to get elected speaker, said Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican and a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus. “There’s not a soul in this town right now that has 218 votes.”