The House of Representatives is headed to its ninth vote as the race for House speaker is still up in the ai with 21 Republicans withholding their support for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
McCarthy, the favorite for speaker, has been unable to secure the seat due to GOP holdouts, who continue to largely vote en bloc for other candidates.
Twenty of the members-elect have voted for other candidates, while one has voted present, abstaining from voting for any candidate amid the tumultuous election.
The 21 House Republicans who haven’t voted for McCarthy are Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Reps.-elect Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Josh Bechreen of Oklahoma, Michael Cloud of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Eli Crane of Arizona, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Andy Harris of Maryland, Ana Paulina Luna of Florida, Mary Miller of Illinois, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Chip Roy of Texas, Keith Self of Texas, Byron Donalds of Florida and Victoria Spartz of Indiana.
Spartz initially backed McCarthy but then began to vote present in recent rounds. She is the only Republican of the 21 who has yet to vote for a McCarthy opponent.
Donalds, a popular member, has been the candidate that many Freedom Caucus members have rallied behind, but some members have voted instead for other candidates, such as Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) and former President Trump.
The split has resulted in neither McCarthy nor Democrat contender Hakeem Jeffries of New York having a majority vote to take the speakership, leading the House to grind to a halt, meaning that no member can be sworn in or do any official business.
The last time the House had nine votes to determine its speaker was 100 years ago in 1923.
McCarthy may not have the votes to take the speakership, but he does hold the support of the vast majority of House Republicans, compared to the other potential speakers nominated. Many Republicans who won in districts taken by President Biden in 2020 vowed to keep holding votes until McCarthy is voted in as speaker
Many GOP members-elect have spoken out about the holdouts bringing the House to a screeching halt.
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