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Kevin McCarthy beats Raul Labrador to become House majority leader Kevin McCarthy beats Raul Labrador to become House majority leader
(about 2 hours later)
The crucial contest for Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives has been won by Kevin McCarthy, after a swift, decisive victory that will reassure a party establishment shaken by the sudden demise of Eric Cantor.The crucial contest for Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives has been won by Kevin McCarthy, after a swift, decisive victory that will reassure a party establishment shaken by the sudden demise of Eric Cantor.
However in a significant victory for southern conservatives in the GOP, a separate election for chief whip was won decisively by a staunch rightwinger from Louisiana, Steve Scalise.
Cantor's stunning primary defeat to a virtually unknown Tea Party candidate last week forced him to stand down as majority leader and prompted a frenzied period of jockeying for power in the top ranks of the party.Cantor's stunning primary defeat to a virtually unknown Tea Party candidate last week forced him to stand down as majority leader and prompted a frenzied period of jockeying for power in the top ranks of the party.
But McCarthy, the current chief whip and the establishment's preferred candidate, moved quickly to control the race, seeing off a number of potential rightwing contenders. The establishment's preferred candidate, moved quickly to control the race, seeing off a number of potential rightwing contenders.
McCarthy, 49, a popular, well-connected Californian, whose rapid ascent through the ranks marks him out as a future GOP star, triumphed over Raul Labrador, a Tea Party-aligned member from Idaho.McCarthy, 49, a popular, well-connected Californian, whose rapid ascent through the ranks marks him out as a future GOP star, triumphed over Raul Labrador, a Tea Party-aligned member from Idaho.
The election for majority leader, the second-ranking job in the House, was decided at a closed-door ballot held by House Republicans on Capitol Hill on Thursday. It was a secret ballot, in which three party elders manually counted the ballot papers and then announced the winner to the meeting. The breakdown of votes was not revealed. The election for majority leader and majority whip, the second and third ranking jobs in the House, were decided at a closed-door ballot held by House Republicans on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
A separate vote to select a replacement for McCarthy as chief whip – the third-ranking position in the House – was still ongoing in what appeared to be a closely fought race. They were secret ballots, in which three party elders manually counted the ballot papers and then announced the winner to the meeting. The breakdown of votes were not revealed.
Steve Scalise, from Louisiana, a staunch conservative, was believed to have a slight edge over Peter Roskam, from Illinois, a more moderate figure and the current deputy chief. In brief remarks after the vote, McCarthy was asked to respond to grassroots Republicans should felt Cantor’s defeat by a Tea Party insurgent should have resulted in a more conservative majority leader – rather than the election of a member from the Democratic state of California.
However, the race to replace McCarthy is complicated by the entry of a third candidate, Marlin Stutzman from Indiana, who also aligns with rightwingers in the party. “They elected a guy who is a grandson of a cattle-rancher, the son of a firefighter,” McCarthy said. “They elected a guy who has only grown-up with the grassroots.”
Under the GOP's election rules, the winning candidate will need a clear majority on the first vote from the 233 Republican members of Congress, or the the third place challenger – in this case, probably Stutzman – is knocked out of the race and a second ballot is held. Scalise was asked if his victory in the whip race was a victory for the Tea Party. He replied: “This is a win for America because were going to be a more united team moving forward.”
With Scalise and Roskam short of the 117 votes required to win outright, the voting process could last hours. But McCarthy’s victory will reassure the party’s establishment, which was desperate to avoid a protracted battle after Cantor’s departure – or worse, see him replaced by a challenge from the hard right. However the nature of Scalise’s victory over his main opponent, Peter Roskam, a more moderate figure from Illinois, was stark example of the power still wielded by staunch conservatives in the Republican Party.
The decision to hold the election so swiftly after Cantor's announced his departure helped McCarthy secure a quick advantage. As the current deputy chief whip, and the preference of many establishment Republicans, Roskam might have expected a natural promotion to the role being vacated by McCarthy.
Two Texan conservatives, Pete Sessions and Jeb Hensarling, briefly flirted with mounting a leadership run in the days after Cantor’s primary defeat, but were unable to secure the broad support required to challenge McCarthy who has built up a substantial network since ascending to the role of chief whip in 2011. The race between Scalise and Roskam was complicated by the entry of a third candidate, Marlin Stutzman from Indiana, who many thought would deny the two frontrunners a simple victory.
In the end, McCarthy was only challenged in Thursday's ballot by Labrador, a conservative from Idaho, who struggled to muster anywhere near the support needed to mount a serious challenge. Under the GOP's election rules, the winning candidate needed a clear majority on the first vote from the 233 Republican members of Congress or face a second ballot.
Both Scalise and Roskam doubted they had met the 117 pledges of support, leading most observers to expect a second ballot to determine the outcome. However in a surprise result, Scalise surpassed the majority threshold in the first round.
Although not beloved by all in the Tea Party faction, the rapid ascent of Scalise, who is chairman of the right-wing Republican Study Committee, will mollify the elements within the party who believe its leadership is too moderate.
He is also the only member of the leadership team from a southern state. McCarthy is from California, while the speaker of the House, John Boehner, is from Ohio.
The decision to hold the election for majority leader so swiftly after Cantor announced his departure helped McCarthy secure a quick advantage.
Two Texan conservatives, Pete Sessions and Jeb Hensarling, briefly flirted with mounting a leadership run in the days after Cantor’s primary defeat, but were unable to secure the broad support required to challenge McCarthy, who has built up a substantial network since ascending to the role of chief whip in 2011.
In the end, McCarthy's only challenger was Labrador, a conservative from Idaho, who struggled to muster anywhere near the support needed to mount a serious challenge.
McCarthy’s victory, which had been widely expected, was announced with little fanfare, with a Republican staffer announcing the news to reporters outside the closed door meeting in the Longworth Building.McCarthy’s victory, which had been widely expected, was announced with little fanfare, with a Republican staffer announcing the news to reporters outside the closed door meeting in the Longworth Building.
“The conference has elected Kevin McCarthy from California as the new majority leader,” she said. “Thank you.”“The conference has elected Kevin McCarthy from California as the new majority leader,” she said. “Thank you.”
Cantor will not formally stand down as majority leader until July 31, and keeps his House seat until the end of the year. Cantor will not formally stand down as majority leader until 31 July, and keeps his House seat until the end of the year.