January 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election
 | This article documents a current election. Information may change rapidly as the election progresses until official results have been published. Initial news reports may be unreliable, and the last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (January 2023) |
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Needed to win: Majority of votes cast First ballot: 434 votes cast, 218 needed for a majority Latest (thirteenth) ballot: 432 votes cast, 217 needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Beginning on January 3, 2023, the first day of the 118th Congress and two months after the 2022 U.S. House elections, the incoming House members have been holding an election for speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. It is the 128th U.S. speaker election since the office was created in 1789.[1]
The Republican Party won a narrow majority of House seats over the Democratic Party in the 2022 U.S. elections. Republican conference leader Kevin McCarthy won the nomination within the Republican conference but faced public opposition from some House Republicans, mainly members of the Freedom Caucus, prior to the vote. With 19 Republicans voting for candidates other than McCarthy on the first ballot, no candidate achieved the necessary majority and the election proceeded to additional ballots for the first time since the 1923 U.S. speaker election.[2] In the first round of voting, Democratic caucus leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York received 212 votes, McCarthy of California received 203 votes, and Andy Biggs of Arizona received 10 votes; other candidates who were not formally nominated received nine votes.[3]
On the second through the thirteenth votes, McCarthy again failed to receive a majority of votes cast.[4] Jeffries received the support of all Democrats in every round. Although he nominated and voted for McCarthy, Jim Jordan of Ohio received all votes of Republicans opposed to McCarthy on the second and third rounds.[5] Following three unsuccessful votes on January 3, the House adjourned until noon on January 4.[6] During the fourth vote, Chip Roy of Texas nominated Byron Donalds, who replaced Jordan as the Republican alternative to McCarthy. In the fourth ballot until the eleventh ballot, one member (Victoria Spartz) voted present (abstention), lowering the necessary threshold to 217 votes.[7]
Following three more unsuccessful ballots on January 4, the House again adjourned until 8 pm the same day, then voted to adjourn again until noon on January 5.[8] The House reconvened on January 5, and from the seventh to the eleventh ballots no candidate achieved a majority of the vote, making this the longest speaker election since that of December 1859 – February 1860. Donalds continued as the main Republican opposition to McCarthy,[9] while Kevin Hern of Oklahoma was nominated for the ninth, tenth, and eleventh ballots, receiving as many as seven votes.[10] After the eleventh ballot, the House voted to adjourn for the day.[11] On January 6, a twelfth ballot was held. McCarthy gained a plurality of the votes for the first time, after receiving votes from fourteen Republicans who had previously opposed; he nonetheless fell short of a majority.[12]
Process and conventions
The speaker is the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives. The House elects its speaker at the beginning of a new Congress (i.e. biennially, after Election Day) or when a speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from the position intra-term. Since 1839, the House has elected speakers by roll call vote.[13] Following a congressional election, there being no speaker, the outgoing House clerk summons, convenes, and calls the House to order. After prayer offered by the House chaplain, the clerk leads the representatives in the Pledge of Allegiance before ordering a roll call. The clerk and its officers then order and oversee the election of a speaker. During these processes, the clerk must "preserve order and decorum and decide all questions of order", which is subject to appeal.[14]
Traditionally, each of the party caucuses and conferences in the U.S. Congress selects a candidate for the speakership from among its senior leaders prior to the roll call. Representatives are not restricted to voting for the candidate nominated by their party but generally do, as the outcome of the election effectively determines which one is the majority party and consequently will organize the House.[15] Without a speaker, members-elect of the House cannot be sworn in.[b] The House is unable to conduct any business other than electing the speaker.[16][17] Because the rules of the House are adopted for each new Congress, the House will not have rules until the election is complete allowing the members to be sworn in and the House to adopt rules.[18]
Representatives that choose to vote for someone other than their party's nominated candidate usually vote for another member within the party or vote "present", which entails abstention. Moreover, as the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly state that the speaker must be an incumbent member of the House, it is permissible for representatives to vote for someone who is not a member of the House at the time, and non-members have received a few votes in various speaker elections over the past several years.[19] Nevertheless, every person elected speaker has been a member.[15] Upon winning election, the new speaker is immediately sworn in by the dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, the chamber's longest-serving member.[20][21] The new speaker then administers the oath en masse to the rest of the members of the House.[22]
To be elected speaker, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of the votes cast, as opposed to an absolute majority of the full membership of the House—presently 218 votes, in a House of 434 members. There is one vacancy caused by the death of Donald McEachin of Virginia.[23] There have only been a few instances during the past century where a person received a majority of the votes cast and thus won the election while failing to obtain a majority of the full membership. It happened most recently in 2021 when Nancy Pelosi was elected with 216 votes (as opposed to 218). Such a variation in the number of votes necessary to win a given election might arise due to vacancies, absentees, or members being present but not voting. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes cast for a person by name, then the roll call is repeated until a speaker is elected.[15] Prior to this election, multiple roll calls have been necessary only 14 times; it last occurred in December 1923, when a closely divided House needed nine ballots to elect Frederick H. Gillett speaker.[24]
Democratic nomination
During the 2019 U.S. speaker election, Nancy Pelosi struck a deal with certain members in the Democratic caucus that she would retire from the position of speaker after the 2022 U.S. House elections to ensure a majority voted for her.[25] On November 17, 2022, Pelosi confirmed during a speech on the floor of the House that she would not run again for a leadership position.[26]
Candidates
Nominee
- Hakeem Jeffries, incumbent chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and representative from New York's 8th congressional district[27][28]
Declined
- Jim Clyburn, outgoing majority whip, former assistant Democratic leader, and representative from South Carolina's 6th congressional district[29]
- Steny Hoyer, outgoing House Majority Leader, and representative from Maryland's 5th congressional district[29]
- Nancy Pelosi, outgoing speaker of the House, former minority leader, and representative from California's 12th congressional district[26]
- Adam Schiff, incumbent chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and representative from California's 28th congressional district[27][30]
- Pete Aguilar, incumbent vice chair of the Democratic caucus, and representative from California's 31st congressional district[27]
- Katherine Clark, incumbent assistant speaker, former vice chair of the Democratic caucus, and representative from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district[27]
Result
On November 30, Hakeem Jeffries was selected by acclamation.[31]
Republican nomination
In the October 2015 U.S. speaker election, after John Boehner resigned under pressure from the more conservative wing of his caucus,[32] Kevin McCarthy ran for the Republican nomination and was initially judged as the favorite.[33] As the House Freedom Caucus refused to vote for McCarthy in the full House, he did not have a majority of the House.[34][35] McCarthy withdrew from the race, and Paul Ryan was elected speaker.[36][37]
Candidates
Nominee
- Kevin McCarthy, former minority and majority leader, representative from California's 23rd congressional district[38]
Lost nomination
- Andy Biggs, former chair of the Freedom Caucus and representative from Arizona's 5th congressional district[39]
Results
The House Republican Conference vote was held on November 15, 2022, and despite a challenge from Biggs, McCarthy won the majority of votes, becoming the Republican nominee for speaker of the House. As McCarthy did not win at least 218 votes, a majority of the seats in the House, it caused media speculation of McCarthy's ability to be voted in as Speaker.[40][41][42]
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
Kevin McCarthy 
|
188 | 85.8% |
| Andy Biggs | 31 | 14.2% |
Election of the speaker
The election for speaker began on January 3, 2023, at the start of the 118th Congress. At the time of the proceedings, there was one vacant seat, Virginia's 4th congressional district.[23][43]
In anticipation of right-wing opposition to McCarthy's election as speaker, Don Bacon of Nebraska threatened to form a coalition of moderate Republicans who would work with the Democrats to successfully install a speaker.[44] Several names were floated as a potential compromise candidate, the most prominent of which was Fred Upton, a moderate Republican who had been the representative for Michigan's 6th congressional district up to his retirement in the 2022 election cycle.[45] McCarthy and his supporters spent December and the first days of January negotiating with right-wing opponents of McCarthy to persuade them to support him on the floor. At a closed-door meeting shortly before the speaker vote on January 3, Mike Rogers of Alabama threatened dissident Republicans with removal from House committees.[46]
Prior to the vote, Politico reported that at least five Republican representatives had refused to support McCarthy, while another nine had not publicly commented on whether they would. As the Republican Party won a slim majority (222–212), McCarthy could only sustain as many as four Republican members voting for other candidates or nine Republican members either voting present or abstaining, for McCarthy to be elected as speaker (assuming Democratic members do not vote for McCarthy).[47][48] It was reported that these representatives demanded that McCarthy make concessions before these representatives would support him, such as lowering the barriers for caucus members to force a vote to remove a sitting speaker and other procedural matters.[49] House Freedom Caucus member Bob Good said that McCarthy "has not done anything to earn my vote", explaining that "[t]here's many times where we ... asked him to fight on various opportunities and various issues, and I have not seen the demonstrated fight that we're looking for."[50] The Club for Growth, a conservative political advocacy group, has openly called for House Republicans to oppose his nomination.[51]
Day one (January 3)
First ballot
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On the first ballot, 19 Republicans voted for candidates other than McCarthy, while Jeffries received the most votes with all Democrats present voting in his favor; since no nominee received an outright majority of the vote, a second ballot took place for the first time since the December 1923 U.S. speaker election.[23][52] Elise Stefanik of New York gave a nominating speech for McCarthy, Pete Aguilar of California nominated Jeffries, and Paul Gosar of Arizona nominated Andy Biggs.[6][53]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 48.8% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 203 | 46.8% | |
| Republican | Andy Biggs (AZ 5) | 10 | 2.3% | |
| Republican | Jim Jordan (OH 4)[a] | 6 | 1.4% | |
| Republican | Jim Banks (IN 3)[a] | 1 | 0.2% | |
| Republican | Byron Donalds (FL 19)[a] | 1 | 0.2% | |
| Republican | Lee Zeldin[a] | 1 | 0.2% | |
| Total votes | 434 | 100% | ||
| Votes necessary | 218 | >50% | ||
Lee Zeldin, whose term as a House member had ended with the close of the 117th and previous Congress, was no longer an incumbent representative.[54]
Second ballot
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On the second ballot, the same 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy, this time coalescing their votes around Jim Jordan of Ohio. Matt Gaetz of Florida nominated Jordan, while Jordan himself nominated and voted for McCarthy. Aguilar again nominated Jeffries.[5][55][56]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 48.8% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 203 | 46.8% | |
| Republican | Jim Jordan (OH 4) | 19 | 4.4% | |
| Total votes | 434 | 100% | ||
| Votes necessary | 218 | >50% | ||
Third ballot
Steve Scalise of Louisiana nominated McCarthy, Chip Roy of Texas nominated Jordan, and Aguilar again nominated Jeffries. Jordan again voted for McCarthy, not for himself.[6] Byron Donalds of Florida, who had voted for McCarthy on the first two ballots, instead voted for Jordan, increasing Jordan's vote total to 20.[57] Donalds wrote on Twitter about his decision to change his vote, stating that "the reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn't have the votes."[5][58]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 48.8% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 202 | 46.5% | |
| Republican | Jim Jordan (OH 4) | 20 | 4.6% | |
| Total votes | 434 | 100% | ||
| Votes necessary | 218 | >50% | ||
After the third ballot, Tom Cole of Oklahoma moved to adjourn the meeting until 12:00 p.m. EST (UTC−5) on January 4, and the motion was approved by voice vote.[6][59]
Day two (January 4)
Fourth, fifth, and sixth ballots
Ahead of the fourth ballot of voting on January 4, former president Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for McCarthy to be speaker of the House and urged all House Republicans to vote for him.[60] Ralph Norman, one of the Republicans opposed to McCarthy, stated that McCarthy would win over additional votes from the Republican holdouts by committing to shutting down the U.S. government over raising the United States debt ceiling.[61]
After a quorum call, Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and Roy nominated Byron Donalds.[7] Despite Trump's endorsement, the 20 members who had voted for Jordan in the third ballot again opposed McCarthy, voting in this round for Donalds. Victoria Spartz, who had voted for McCarthy on each previous ballot, voted present.[7] Spartz explained her vote of present as a message that more deliberations are needed.[62]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.0% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 201 | 46.4% | |
| Republican | Byron Donalds (FL 19) | 20 | 4.6% | |
| Total votes | 433 | 100% | ||
| Voted present | 1 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 217 | >50% | ||
On the fifth ballot, Warren Davidson of Ohio nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado nominated Donalds.[8] All members voted for the same candidates on the fifth ballot as they did on the fourth.[63]
On the sixth ballot, Kat Cammack of Florida nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania nominated Donalds.[8] Prior to the ballot, Ken Buck of Colorado suggested to CNN that McCarthy should withdraw from consideration for Speaker if he could not reach a majority; he nonetheless voted again for McCarthy.[64] All members voted for the same candidates on the sixth ballot as they did on the fourth and fifth.[8]
The House agreed to adjourn until 8:00 p.m. EST (UTC−5) the same day by voice vote.[8] After reconvening at 8:00, the House agreed to adjourn again until 12:00 p.m. EST (UTC−5) the next day, January 5,[66] by a vote of 216–214.[67] Of those who voted against adjournment, 210 were Democrats and 4 were Republicans: Biggs, Boebert, Eli Crane, and Gaetz.[68] Following the sixth ballot, it was reported by Politico that Donalds was unlikely to be the final choice of the anti-McCarthy Republicans, with the chair of the Republican Study Committee, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, being floated as a potential candidate.[69] Pete Sessions of Texas also suggested that Republicans should begin to consider other speaker candidates, with Scalise, the House Majority Leader-elect, being specifically named.[70]
Ahead of a seventh vote on the speakership, McCarthy offered several concessions, including allowing a single party member to motion for a vote to remove the speaker, appointing additional Freedom Caucus members to the House Rules Committee, and holding votes on bills concerning congressional term limits in the United States and border security.[71] At the same time, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with McCarthy, reached an agreement with the Club for Growth not to spend money in the primary election of Republicans in open districts that are considered safe seats for the party.[72]
Day three (January 5)
Seventh ballot
For the seventh ballot, John James of Michigan nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and Dan Bishop of North Carolina nominated Donalds. Gaetz, who had voted for Donalds on the fourth, fifth, and sixth ballots, instead voted for Trump. All other members voted for the same candidates as they did on the fourth, fifth, and sixth ballots.[73]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.0% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 201 | 46.4% | |
| Republican | Byron Donalds (FL 19) | 19 | 4.4% | |
| Republican | Donald Trump[a] | 1 | 0.2% | |
| Total votes | 433 | 100% | ||
| Voted present | 1 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 217 | >50% | ||
Eighth ballot
For the eighth ballot, Brian Mast of Florida nominated McCarthy, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts nominated Jeffries, and Biggs nominated Donalds. Boebert, as well as Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, who had both previously supported Donalds, cast their votes for Hern, who was not formally nominated. All other members voted for the same candidates as they did on the seventh ballot.[74]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.0% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 201 | 46.4% | |
| Republican | Byron Donalds (FL 19) | 17 | 3.9% | |
| Republican | Kevin Hern (OK 1)[a] | 2 | 0.5% | |
| Republican | Donald Trump[a] | 1 | 0.2% | |
| Total votes | 433 | 100% | ||
| Voted present | 1 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 217 | >50% | ||
Ninth ballot
For the ninth ballot, Troy Nehls of Texas nominated McCarthy, Ted Lieu of California nominated Jeffries, Matt Rosendale of Montana nominated Donalds, and Boebert nominated Hern.[75] All members voted for the same candidates as they did on the eighth ballot, except Gaetz, who voted for Hern instead of Trump.[76] Buck, who had been a McCarthy supporter, was absent from the vote and subsequent votes due to travel for a planned non-emergency medical procedure in Colorado.[77]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.1% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 200 | 46.3% | |
| Republican | Byron Donalds (FL 19) | 17 | 3.9% | |
| Republican | Kevin Hern (OK 1) | 3 | 0.7% | |
| Total votes | 432 | 100% | ||
| Voted present | 1 | — | ||
| Not voting | 1 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 217 | >50% | ||
Tenth ballot
On the tenth ballot, Juan Ciscomani of Arizona nominated McCarthy,[78] Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida nominated Donalds,[79] and Boebert again nominated Hern.[80]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.1% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 200 | 46.3% | |
| Republican | Byron Donalds (FL 19) | 13 | 3.0% | |
| Republican | Kevin Hern (OK 1) | 7 | 1.6% | |
| Total votes | 432 | 100% | ||
| Voted present | 1 | — | ||
| Not voting | 1 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 217 | >50% | ||
Eleventh ballot
On the eleventh ballot, French Hill of Arkansas nominated McCarthy,[81] Joe Neguse of Colorado nominated Jeffries, Gaetz nominated Trump,[82] and Good nominated Hern.[83]
After the ballot, the House voted 219−213 to adjourn until 12:00 p.m. EST (UTC−5) on January 6. Tim Burchett of Tennessee joined all Democrats in voting against adjournment.[84]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.1% | |
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 200 | 46.3% | |
| Republican | Byron Donalds (FL 19)[a] | 12 | 2.8% | |
| Republican | Kevin Hern (OK 1) | 7 | 1.6% | |
| Republican | Donald Trump | 1 | 0.2% | |
| Total votes | 432 | 100% | ||
| Voted present | 1 | — | ||
| Not voting | 1 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 217 | >50% | ||
Day four (January 6)
Twelfth ballot
On the twelfth ballot, Mike Garcia of California nominated McCarthy, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina nominated Jeffries, Gaetz nominated Jordan, and Boebert again nominated Hern. On this ballot, 14 Republican members voted for McCarthy who had not in some or all previous rounds. Buck, David Trone of Maryland,[85] and Wesley Hunt of Texas were absent.[86] This ballot marked the first time that McCarthy won a plurality of the votes cast.[12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 213 | 49.4% | |
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 211 | 49.0% | |
| Republican | Jim Jordan (OH 4) | 4 | 0.9% | |
| Republican | Kevin Hern (OK 1) | 3 | 0.7% | |
| Total votes | 431 | 100% | ||
| Not voting | 3 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 216 | >50% | ||
Thirteenth ballot
On the thirteenth ballot, James Comer of Kentucky nominated McCarthy and Veronica Escobar of Texas nominated Jeffries. For the first time, there were no other nominations. Andy Harris of Maryland voted for McCarthy for the first time on this ballot. This left only six Republicans who did not vote for McCarthy. Trone, who was absent on the previous ballot, returned to the House.[87]
Following the thirteenth ballot, the House voted 220–212 to adjourn until 10 p.m. EST (UTC−5). Scalise proposed the motion.[88]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kevin McCarthy (CA 20) | 214 | 49.5% | |
| Democratic | Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8) | 212 | 49.1% | |
| Republican | Jim Jordan (OH 4)[a] | 6 | 1.4% | |
| Total votes | 432 | 100% | ||
| Not voting | 2 | — | ||
| Votes necessary | 217 | >50% | ||
Votes cast by members
All House members of the 118th Congress voted for their party's nominee in every ballot except as noted here.
| Member | Party | District | Ballot vote cast | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 3 | January 4 | January 5 | January 6 | |||||||||||||
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | ||||
| Andy Biggs | Republican | AZ 5 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | Hern | Jordan | |||||||||
| Dan Bishop | Republican | NC 8 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | ||||||||||
| Lauren Boebert | Republican | CO 3 | Jordan | Donalds | Hern | Jordan | ||||||||||
| Josh Brecheen | Republican | OK 2 | Banks | Jordan | Donalds | Hern | McCarthy | |||||||||
| Ken Buck | Republican | CO 4 | McCarthy | absent[c] | ||||||||||||
| Michael Cloud | Republican | TX 27 | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | |||||||||||
| Andrew Clyde | Republican | GA 9 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | ||||||||||
| Eli Crane | Republican | AZ 2 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | Hern | Jordan | |||||||||
| Byron Donalds | Republican | FL 19 | McCarthy | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | ||||||||||
| Matt Gaetz | Republican | FL 1 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | Trump | Hern | Trump | Jordan | |||||||
| Bob Good | Republican | VA 5 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | Hern | Jordan | |||||||||
| Paul Gosar | Republican | AZ 9 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | ||||||||||
| Andy Harris | Republican | MD 1 | Zeldin | Jordan | Donalds | Hern | Jordan | McCarthy | ||||||||
| Wesley Hunt | Republican | TX 38 | McCarthy | absent[d] | ||||||||||||
| Anna Paulina Luna | Republican | FL 13 | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | |||||||||||
| Mary Miller | Republican | IL 15 | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | |||||||||||
| Ralph Norman | Republican | SC 5 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | ||||||||||
| Andy Ogles | Republican | TN 5 | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | |||||||||||
| Scott Perry | Republican | PA 10 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | ||||||||||
| Matt Rosendale | Republican | MT 2 | Biggs | Jordan | Donalds | Hern | Jordan | |||||||||
| Chip Roy | Republican | TX 21 | Donalds | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | ||||||||||
| Keith Self | Republican | TX 3 | Jordan | Donalds | McCarthy | |||||||||||
| Victoria Spartz | Republican | IN 5 | McCarthy | present | McCarthy | |||||||||||
| David Trone | Democratic | MD 6 | Jeffries | absent[e] | Jeffries | |||||||||||
Summary of the votes
| Date | January 3 | January 4 | January 5 | January 6 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th |
| Kevin McCarthy | 203 | 202 | 201 | 200 | 213 | 214 | |||||||
| Hakeem Jeffries | 212 | 211 | 212 | ||||||||||
| Jim Jordan | 6 | 19 | 20 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||
| Byron Donalds | 1 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 12 | |||||||
| Andy Biggs | 10 | ||||||||||||
| Kevin Hern | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | |||||||||
| Donald Trump | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Jim Banks | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Lee Zeldin | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 434 | 433 | 432 | 431 | 432 | ||||||||
| Present | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Not voting | 1[c] | 3[c][d][e] | 2[c][d] | ||||||||||
| Majority | 218 | 217 | 216 | 217 | |||||||||
Impact
Thirteen of the fourteen prior U.S. speaker elections that took more than one ballot occurred before the American Civil War. The 68th Congress in 1923 was the last time it took more than one ballot to elect a speaker, and the 36th Congress in 1859 was the last time it took more than nine ballots to elect a speaker.[1] The record number is 133 ballots during the 34th Congress in 1855.[89]
Consequences while there is no speaker
While the House is without a speaker, in the words of Luke Broadwater, it "essentially becomes a useless entity."[90] Congress cannot pass bills or adopt resolutions. Incoming members cannot setup their constituent services and are barred from accessing their security clearances. The speaker's place in the U.S. presidential line of succession is skipped, and the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate (Patty Murray) becomes second in line to the presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris.[91]
Moreover, the government of the District of Columbia is unable to enact any laws. Because the District of Columbia Home Rule Act specifies that laws passed by the district are subject to a congressional review period before becoming law, the district must hand deliver physical copies of the laws to both the Senate's president pro tempore and the House's speaker. Therefore, with no speaker to receive the copies, the congressional review period cannot begin.[92]
C-SPAN popularity
C-SPAN, an American non-governmental cable and satellite television network that televises proceedings of the House, was given operational control of the cameras for the speaker election, free of the restrictions on government employees who usually provide its feed. This deviation from its typical broadcast style has captured members huddled and reaction shots that viewers do not normally see.[93] It saw increased popularity as it broadcast the election. C-SPAN plans to make a case for more independence in the future.[94]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k This candidate received one or more votes on this ballot without being formally nominated.
- ^ The Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that all members' terms begin at noon on January 3. Within the House, these individuals are referred to as members-elect until they have been sworn in.
- ^ a b c d Buck missed votes due to a medical procedure.
- ^ a b c Hunt missed votes to visit his newborn child.
- ^ a b Trone missed the vote due to a medical procedure. He subsequently returned to the chamber.
References
- ^ a b Linton, Caroline (January 5, 2023). "Only 8 House speaker votes in history have taken more ballots than this one". CBS News. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ Dorn, Sara (January 3, 2023). "Kevin McCarthy's Historic Loss: House Adjourns After He Fails To Win Speaker Vote After 3 Rounds". Forbes. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ "House adjourns without choosing Speaker after Republican revolt". BBC News. January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ "House Adjourns Without a Speaker". The New York Times. January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c Wagner, John; et al. (January 3, 2023). "McCarthy fails to win House speakership on third ballot". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Hammond, Elise; SangaL, Aditi; Chowdhury, Maureen; Powell, Tori B. (January 3, 2023). "The latest on the new Congress and House speaker vote". CNN. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c Wagner, John; Alfaro, Mariana (January 4, 2023). "McCarthy loses 4th House speaker vote as GOP standoff continues". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Sangal, Aditi; Vogt, Adrienne; Hayes, Mike; Chowdhury, Maureen; Hammond, Elise (January 4, 2023). "GOP deadlocked over House speaker vote". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ "House Speaker election coverage: House moves directly into eighth vote after McCarthy loses seventh". The Hill. January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ Astor, Maggie (January 5, 2023). "Who is Kevin Hern? More about one of the rebels' protest candidates". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ Sangal, Aditi; Vogt, Adrienne; Hayes, Mike; Chowdhury, Maureen; Hammond, Elise (January 5, 2023). "The House has voted to adjourn until Friday". CNN. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
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We'd heard chatter that there would be a motion to adjourn coming up, but French Hill of Arkansas just stood up to nominate Kevin McCarthy.
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It was Democrat Joe Neguse's turn to nominate Hakeem Jeffries, and he brought up the Jan. 6, 2021 attack by former President Donald Trump's supporters on the Capitol, a day before its anniversary. Matt Gaetz immediately followed and nominated Trump, lauding the former president's achievements.
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As we enter the 11th ballot, we're not done with speaker nominations yet. Bob Good of Virginia, after a long wind-up speech, is putting forward Kevin Hern as a candidate.
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House Republicans successfully, though narrowly, voted on Thursday night to adjourn until noon on Friday following another day of unsuccessfully trying to choose a speaker.
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