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Kevin McCarthy

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For other people with similar names, see Kevin McCarthy (disambiguation).
Kevin McCarthy
House Majority Leader
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 1, 2014
DeputySteve Scalise
Preceded byEric Cantor
House Majority Whip
In office
January 3, 2011 – August 1, 2014
LeaderEric Cantor
Preceded byJim Clyburn
Succeeded bySteve Scalise
House Chief Deputy Republican Whip
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
LeaderJohn Boehner
Preceded byEric Cantor
Succeeded byPeter Roskam
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 23rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded byLois Capps
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 22nd district
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byBill Thomas
Succeeded byDevin Nunes
Minority Leader of the California Assembly
In office
January 5, 2004 – April 17, 2006
Preceded byDave Cox
Succeeded byGeorge Plescia
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 32nd district
In office
December 2, 2002 – November 30, 2006
Preceded byRoy Ashburn
Succeeded byJean Fuller
Personal details
Born
Kevin Owen McCarthy

(1965-01-26) January 26, 1965 (age 59)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJudy McCarthy
ChildrenConnor
Meghan
ResidenceBakersfield, California
Alma materCalifornia State University, Bakersfield
WebsiteHouse website
Party website
Congressman McCarthy at an oversight hearing of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power.

Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, elected on June 19, 2014 to replace outgoing Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who left his leadership position on August 1, 2014.[1][2]

A member of the Republican Party, McCarthy is the U.S. representative for California's 23rd congressional district, serving since 2007. The district, numbered as the 22nd District from 2007 to 2013, is based in Bakersfield and includes large slices of Kern and Tulare counties.

He previously served two terms in the California State Assembly, including two years as the minority leader.

Early life and education

Born in Bakersfield, McCarthy is a fourth-generation resident of Kern County. He states that he is the first Republican in his immediate family.[3][4] His father was a fireman and his mother was a homemaker.[4] In one campaign ad, he claimed that, "Jeremiah McCarthy's house still stands". At the age of 19 he opened his first business, a deli, after winning five thousand dollars from a lottery ticket.[5] He subsequently sold the deli to attend California State University, Bakersfield.[6] He obtained a B.S. in marketing, in 1989 and an M.B.A., in 1994.[6]

Early political career

In 1995, he was chairman of the California Young Republicans. From 1999 to 2001, he was chairman of the Young Republican National Federation.[4] From the late 1990s until 2000, he was the district director for U.S. Representative Bill Thomas, who, at the time, chaired the House Ways and Means Committee.[6] Kevin won his first election in 2000 as Trustee to the Kern Community College District.[6]

McCarthy was elected to the California State Assembly in 2002, becoming Republican floor leader in his freshman term in 2003.[6] He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2006.[7][6]

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Party leadership

  • Majority leader, 2014-present
  • Majority whip, 2011–2014
  • Republican chief deputy whip, 2009–2011
  • House Republican Steering Committee

As a freshman, he was appointed to the Republican Steering Committee. In 2008, Republican leader John Boehner appointed him chairman of the Republican Platform Committee during the committee's meetings in Minneapolis in August 2008, which produced the Republican Party Platform for 2008. He was also one of the three founding members of the GOP Young Guns Program.[8]

After the 2008 elections, he was chosen as chief deputy minority whip, the highest-ranking appointed position in the House Republican caucus. His predecessor, Eric Cantor, was named minority whip. On November 17, 2010, he was selected by the House Republican caucus to be the House majority whip in the 112th Congress. In this post, he was the third-ranking House Republican, behind Speaker John Boehner and majority leader Eric Cantor.

Cantor lost the June 2014 primary for his seat in Congress, and announced he would step down from House leadership at the end of July. McCarthy sought to succeed Cantor, and after some speculation that Representatives Pete Sessions and Jeb Hensarling would challenge him, both dropped out leaving a clear path for McCarthy to become House majority leader.[9] On June 13 conservative Representative Raul Labrador announced he also was seeking the leadership position.[10] On June 19 the Republican caucus elected McCarthy majority leader.[11][12]

According to the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, McCarthy is the least tenured Majority Leader in the history of the House of Representatives. When he assumes the Majority Leader position in July 2014, he will have served for only seven years, six months and 29 days, the least experience of any floor leader in the House's history by more than a year.[13]

McCarthy will keep four of his predecessor's staff members on his staff when he takes over as majority leader, including deputy chief of staff Neil Bradley, who will now have served in that role for three majority leaders.[14]

House campaigns

2006

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2006 § District 22

McCarthy entered the Republican primary for the 22nd—the real contest in this heavily Republican district—after his former boss, Thomas, announced his retirement. He won the general election with 70.7% of the vote.[15][16]

2008

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2008 § District 22

He ran unopposed.[17]

2010

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2010 § District 22

He was virtually unopposed, winning 98.8% of the vote, with opposition coming only from a write-in candidate.[18]

He was a primary author H.R. 1581[19] Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011. It released wilderness study areas and forest service road-less areas administered and managed by the Bureau of Land Management from federal protection.[19] It also attempted to undo the decades-old multiple use approach enshrined in the National Forest Management Act and Federal Land Policy and Management Act, where wilderness is balanced with other public uses. Over 4 million acres in California alone would have been stripped of wilderness protection.[citation needed] The bill was widely opposed by environmentalists, as well as outdoor recreation advocates and businesses, and ultimately died in committee.[20]

2012

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2012 § District 23

Redistricting before the 2012 election resulted in McCarthy's district being renumbered as the 23rd District. The renumbered district became somewhat more compact, losing its share of the Central Coast, while picking up a large chunk of Tulare County. The district was still heavily Republican, and McCarthy easily won a fourth term, taking 73.2% of the vote vs. 26.8% for independent (No Party Preference, or NPP) opponent Terry Phillips.[21]

Political positions

Export-Import Bank of the U.S.

McCarthy does not support renewing the charter of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., as he expects the private sector to take over the role.[22]

Personal life

McCarthy and his wife Judy have two children. They are lifelong residents of Bakersfield.[6]

In 2000, he was elected as a trustee on the Kern Community College District board.[6] He has also been on the board of directors for Community Action Partnership of Kern.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise vault into GOP leadership". Politico. Retrieved June 19, 2014. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  2. ^ "GOP Rep. McCarthy elected House majority leader". AP via Yahoo news. June 19, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  3. ^ McCarthy, Kevin (June 22, 2014). "Kevin McCarthy talks Iraq, future of the GOP; latest on IRS scandal" (Interview). Interviewed by Chris Wallace. Retrieved June 23, 2014. {{cite interview}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |callsign= and |subjectlink= (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |program= ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b c Cottle, Michelle (October 26, 2010). "McCarthism". New Republic. Washington, D.C.: Chris Hughes. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  5. ^ Nichols, Laura (September 27, 2011). "The Young Guns Take to Facebook". National Review Online. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Full Biography". Congressman Kevin McCarthy website. U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  7. ^ Sewell, Abby (12 June 2014). "Kevin McCarthy, would-be majority leader, at home in D.C., Bakersfield". LA Times. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  8. ^ "Young Guns - About". gopyoungguns.com/. National Republican Congressional Committee.
  9. ^ Fuller, Matt (June 12, 2014). "Pete Sessions Drops Out of Majority Leader Race, Clearing Way for Kevin McCarthy". Roll Call. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  10. ^ Cornwell, Susan (June 13, 2014). "Republican Rep. Labrador running for House majority leader post". Reuters. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  11. ^ "Eric Cantor to leave leadership post". Politico. June 11, 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  12. ^ Can Kevin McCarthy instill a California mind-set in his House GOP colleagues?, The Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2014
  13. ^ Bobic, Igor (June 20, 2014). "Kevin McCarthy Is The Least Tenured House Majority Leader Ever". The Huffington Post. New York: AOL. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  14. ^ Dumain, Emma. "Majority Leader-Elect McCarthy Inherits Top Cantor Aides". www.rollcall.com. Roll Call. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  15. ^ "Statement of the Vote - November 2006" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  16. ^ "CA - District 22". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  17. ^ "Statement of Vote: November 4, 2008, General Election" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  18. ^ "Statement of Vote: November 2, 2010, General Election" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  19. ^ a b H.R. 1581
  20. ^ Open Congress
  21. ^ "Statement of Vote: November 6, 2012 General Election" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  22. ^ Rich, Gillian (June 23, 2014). "Boeing May Lose Exports If Ex-Im Bank Charter Revoked". Investor's Business Daily. Los Angeles: William O'Neil. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  23. ^ "Community Action Partnership of Kern". Capk.org. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
California Assembly
Preceded by Member of the California Assembly
from the 32nd district
2002–2006 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 22nd congressional district
2007–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 23rd congressional district
2013–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by House Majority Whip
2011-2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by House Majority Leader
2014–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Republican Party in the California Assembly
2004–2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican Chief Deputy Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives
2009–2011 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
211th 		Succeeded by


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