Key takeaways:
- Kevin McCarthy’s decision not to seek his old job has set off intense jockeying among ambitious House Republicans.
- McCarthy’s tenure as leader of the congressional Republicans was short-lived and he quickly reneged on a two-year budget deal with Democrats.
- The potential candidates for the job are numerous, though the divides between them and McCarthy are so small as to be microscopic.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision not to seek his old job has set off intense jockeying among ambitious House Republicans. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) is the most obvious contender to replace McCarthy as House speaker, though there is not much ideological difference among the GOP’s leadership options.
McCarthy’s tenure as leader of the congressional Republicans was short-lived. He quickly reneged on a two-year budget deal with Democrats that was set up by the debt limit law. This prompted a claim from President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, which embraced and weaponized it to tout his negotiating skills.
The potential candidates for the job are numerous, though the divides between them and McCarthy are so small as to be microscopic. None of them breaks from conservative policy orthodoxy in any substantial way, and none is known for raising concerns about former President Donald Trump.
McCarthy’s decision not to seek his old job has opened the door for a new leader to be chosen. The intense jockeying among ambitious House Republicans is sure to be a deciding factor in the selection of the new House speaker. It remains to be seen who will be chosen to take on the role and how their leadership style will differ from McCarthy’s.
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