House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) cleared the first major hurdle on his path to become the next Speaker of the House, winning the GOP nomination for the position by 188 to 31 on Tuesday.
While McCarthy was widely expected to become the party's nominee for the position, he faced a fierce, last-minute challenge from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) representing the GOP's right flank, still reeling from the Republicans' lackluster results during the 2022 midterms. Biggs had been backed by MAGA Republican figures like Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) who reportedly worked to actively whip votes against McCarthy in the lead-up to Tuesday's vote. McCarthy, however, enjoyed the public support of both former President Donald Trump, and — perhaps surprisingly — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who called any potential challenge a "bad strategy" for the party.
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