The House speakership remained out of reach for California Rep. Kevin McCarthy Tuesday, as 19 Republicans voted against him on the first ballot, with at least one more roll call planned for the day.
The members of McCarthy’s own party to defect included Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. Perry, who heads the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, has said McCarthy refused to commit to holding votes on issues like a balanced budget and congressional term limits.
To become speaker, a candidate needs a majority of votes of those present. On the first round of voting, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York — the Democrats’ chosen leader after Nancy Pelosi stepped aside — won a plurality of votes, as his party rallied behind him.
Here are the 19 Republicans who voted against McCarthy, rounded up in a tweet by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report:
Now read: McCarthy’s speaker bid in trouble — and could signal House dysfunction in 2023