California Republican Kevin McCarthy won a vote to remain the leader of the Republican conference in the House, but through a split 188-31 election, with MAGAt Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs garnering the opposing votes within the caucus, the New York Times reports.
It’s a good news/bad news outcome for McCarthy: while it shows he still merits strong support among Republicans, the Freedom Caucus holdouts may put his effort to become Speaker of the House on the rocks if he cannot gain 218 votes within the overall House. Democrats could, if they choose to, support an upstart candidate like Biggs–generally regarded as a far right loon by members of both Parties–to be Speaker to send Republicans in further disarray.
With Democrats expected to take around 215 seats in the House, any split in the Republican caucus–for any vote, not just the election of the Speaker–would allow Democrats to control legislation passage if the entire fractured GOP conference does not vote as a bloc to pass a bill.
If the GOP takes the House Majority, Republican House members voted for Louisiana’s Steve Scalise to be Majority Leader, a position currently held by Maryland’s Steny Hoyer in the Democratic House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.