House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California easily defeated conservative Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona on Tuesday to win the GOP nomination for speaker of the House.
That was the easy part.
Image: Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., attends a forum at FreedowmWorks headquarters on Nov. 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. NBC News Decision Desk estimates "Minority Leader McCarthy does not have the votes needed to become the next Speaker of the House and his speakership should not be a foregone conclusion," Biggs said in a statement.
"Look, we have our work cut out for us. We've got to have a small majority. We've got to listen to everybody in our conference," said McCarthy, flanked by his new leadership team. Stefanik will remain the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress. Another woman who will serve in leadership is Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who defeated two men in the race for GOP Conference secretary.Heading into the Nov. 8 midterm elections, McCarthy and Republicans were jubilant, predicting that a “red wave” would flip dozens of House seats and sweep the GOP into the majority by a wide margin.
One thing McCarthy has going for him is support from some influential figures in the Republican Party. Former President Donald Trump, who is expected to announce a 2024 presidential bid later Tuesday, has endorsed McCarthy, his longtime ally, for speaker. So has Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Freedom Caucus member who is enormously popular among grassroots conservatives.
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