It took 14 failed votes, lots of concessions and days of being publicly humiliated by colleagues, but early Friday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) finally got what he wanted: He was elected House speaker.
McCarthy eked out victory in the 15th vote after agreeing to several demands by a small bloc of right-wing Republicans who had opposed him. The most significant concession he made was changing the GOP’s rules package — the framework that provides all the rules for running the House for the next two years — to allow one member to propose a motion to remove him.
The final count was 216 votes for McCarthy, 212 votes for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) and six votes now.
For the first time in 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy drew no GOP opposition. The six who voted today are some of their staunchest critics: Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Bob Good (Va.) and Matt Rosendale ( Mont.).
McCarthy’s victory came as a dramatic reversal after it looked like he had lost his bid and had to regroup over the weekend. Gaetz, one of McCarthy’s main antagonists during the week-long voting marathon, voted “now” in the 14th round, rejecting McCarthy’s prize by one vote.
McCarthy and his supporters immediately descended on Gaetz as the results became clear and demanded that he change his vote. So tense that one McCarthy supporter, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), should be. physically restrained by another legislator from get to Gaetz.
After failing to elect McCarthy, his allies immediately adjourned until Monday. But while the vote to postpone was underway, Gaetz he reportedly picked up the phone from former President Donald Trump to clear the way for McCarthy. Trump also reportedly called another Biggs and asked him to do the same.
Trump’s phone seems to do the trick. McCarthy’s allies caught wind that their opponents were now ready to vote “now” over “no,” and quickly began shifting votes to keep the House in session. He moved to the 15th vote to install McCarthy as speaker and succeeded.
McCarthy had won over most of his critics before Friday by presenting a package of changes to parliamentary seats and select committees leading many to vote for him for the first time. Some of the changes will give lawmakers more time to review laws and make it easier to pass amendments.
The California Republican’s rocker path to the speakership is largely due to House Republican underperforming in the November midterm elections. The party recaptured the DPR, which was expected, but did not get as many seats as anticipated. McCarthy has just four votes to spare in his leadership bid, which gives the party’s right-wing power to press the demand in exchange for support.
McCarthy’s victory on the 15th ballot gave him the distinction of requiring the most electoral votes since before the Civil War, when William Pennington of New Jersey needed 44 votes to pick up the gavel in 1860.