Bitter Republican Power Struggle: In the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy lost his faction’s majority on three ballots when he was named “Speaker” — and his opponents show no willingness to compromise.
Two years after the capture of the Capitol, turbulent scenes once again unfolded in the honorable halls of Congress, albeit within the framework of democratic order and without degenerating into violence. Chaos and shouting in the Chamber of Deputies orchestrated the opening of the constituent session and the election of the new president. On the first ballot, Kevin McCarthy, the candidate of the majority Republican faction, suffered a severe defeat of the kind the “House” last experienced 100 years ago.
19 deputies from their own ranks voted against the 57-year-old Californian. And that number didn’t change on the second ballot either. The 19 Republican split votes in this round all went to Republican Representative Jim Jordan. He had already nominated McCarthy for the second ballot and persuaded his party colleagues to close ranks. On the third and final ballot so far, not even 20 Republicans voted for McCarthy.