Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., stands as he is nominated for a twelfth time in the House chamber as the House meets for the fourth day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif. 20th District) gained some momentum on Friday afternoon in his bid to become the House speaker, flipping more than a dozen votes in his favor.
Still, McCarthy was defeated again in his 13th attempt to win the position, despite the positive sign for him as 15 Republicans who were refusing to back him changed their minds.
McCarthy remained several votes short of the simple majority he needed to secure the position.
Following his defeat in 13 rounds of voting, the most in more than a century, McCarthy expressed confidence that he would be able to get the win by Friday evening, telling reporters he “has the votes.”
The House voted to adjourn until 10 p.m. ET Friday evening as McCarthy and his allies continue to work to secure the speakership.
The new Emerson poll of Republican voters shows former President Donald Trump far ahead of his rivals for the 2024 nomination, but for the first time, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has surpassed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
A former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence official pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to violate sanctions on Russia by going to work, after he retired, for an oligarch he once investigated.
Donald Trump has now been indicted in a fourth case, with the former president being charged Monday in Georgia over his efforts to overturn his 2020 general election defeat in the state.
Child welfare advocates filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday asking a judge to force the Biden administration to block imports of cocoa harvested by children in West Africa that can end up in America's most popular chocolate desserts and candies.
