After 15 floor votes, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has officially been named Speaker of the House, occupying the seat that was formerly held by Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
While McCarthy did not meet the 218-vote threshold typically necessary to secure a victory during the 15th vote, a small majority of 216 votes sufficed because his remaining GOP holdouts voted “present” instead of casting a ballot for another suitor.
“I hope one thing is clear after this week — I will never give up,” McCarthy said. “I will never give up on you, the American people. And I will never give up on keeping our Commitment to America. Our nation is worth fighting for.”
McCarthy’s win has allowed members elected to the 118th Congress, such as Mike Ezell, R-Miss., to officially be sworn in.
Congressman Michael Guest, R-Miss., weighed in on McCarthy being named House Speaker, thus formally giving the Republican Party a majority in Congress.
It’s time to get to work in the new, Republican-led House of Representatives with a new, conservative Speaker. I’m ready to work with Speaker McCarthy to get America back on track. pic.twitter.com/XTukeF54Gk
— Congressman Michael Guest (@RepMichaelGuest) January 7, 2023
