Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced Wednesday that he will retire from the House at the end of 2023 after losing the speakership in October.
“I have decided to leave the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. “I know my work is just beginning,” McCarthy said in a Wall Street Journal. opinion article.
McCarthy, who It represents California’s 20th Congressional District was first elected to Congress in 2006 and rose through the ranks of the Republican Party to become a fundraising powerhouse.
He won the speaker’s gavel in the 15th round of voting in January, but only after making concessions, such as restoring the ability of a single member to trigger the process that would lead to such a vote of no confidence.
Citing frustrations with McCarthy’s leadership, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) archived a “motion to vacate the presidency” in early October after the House passed a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Gaetz and seven other Republicans joined Democrats in a 216-210 vote that ousted McCarthy. The GOP-led House of Representatives elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as its 56th speaker in late October, ending a weeks-long impasse.
Upon losing the presidency, McCarthy sure journalists that “yes” he would seek re-election and said he would not resign, stating that he had “a lot more work to do.” But the California Republican recently began showing signs that he was reevaluating his future plans.
In his op-ed Wednesday, McCarthy highlighted his accomplishments, including helping Republicans win the House majority and pass several bills, including spending legislation that preceded his ouster as president.
“Regardless of the odds or the personal cost, we did the right thing. That may seem old-fashioned in Washington these days, but achieving results for the American people is still celebrated across the country,” she wrote.
More than a couple dozen House members have announced that they will not seek another two-year term in the new year’s elections. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who served as House speaker pro tem during a leadership fight this fall and is seen as a close McCarthy ally, announced Tuesday that he will decline a 2024 re-election bid.
McCarthy leaving early means the The Republican majority in the Housein which the republicans I only have a handful more members than Democrats, shrinks after the chamber voted to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) last week. TO special election replacing Santos for the remainder of his term is scheduled for mid-February. Another special election for McCarthy’s seat could also be scheduled soon.
Looking ahead, McCarthy said, “I will continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office. The Republican Party expands every day and I am committed to bringing my experience to support the next generation of leaders.”
David Giglio, a businessman who is run to fill McCarthy’s seat as an “America First” candidate aligned with former President Donald Trump, issued a statement on Wednesday warned that McCarthy seeks to “exercise behind-the-scenes power and influence through a hand-picked successor.”
