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Special Edition

⚡️ Punchbowl News Special Edition: McCarthy loses second ballot

January 3, 2023

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BY PUNCHBOWL NEWS STAFF

News: Kevin McCarthy failed to move a single GOP vote in the second round of balloting for House speaker, again losing 19 Republicans and plunging his future into serious doubt.

This time around all 19 Republicans consolidated and voted for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). This is the same Jordan who nominated McCarthy and gave a speech on his behalf.

In a brief interview Tuesday, McCarthy told us this:

“Their whole plan was for me to [fail by] on the second [round.] Remember their secret candidate? Their secret candidate nominated me. Where do they go now?”

Here are the Republicans who voted for Jordan: Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Dan Bishop (N.C.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Bob Good (Va.), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Andy Harris (Md.), Mary Miller (Ill.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Scott Perry (Pa.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Chip Roy (Texas) and Keith Self (Texas), along with Reps.-elect Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.) and Andy Ogles (Tenn.).

McCarthy’s staff and allies say they’ll continue holding rounds of voting until the California Republican becomes speaker, but that’s looking less and less tenable at this point. We are getting texts and emails from senior Republican sources saying that it will be difficult for McCarthy to articulate a path forward after failing to flip any votes.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told us this: “Everybody knew that this would be going on and we’re going to work through it.”

– Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan, Max Cohen and Heather Caygle

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