Kevin McCarthy Still Doesn’t Have the Votes—and May Never

Jan 4 2023 by The Daily Beast

 
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

Rep. Kevin McCarthy walked into the House chamber at noon on Tuesday hoping to find the votes to become speaker, knowing he didn’t have them.

When he left five hours later, McCarthy still didn’t have the votes. And his apparent plan to win the gavel by calling the bluffs of a small group of detractors just revealed a fundamental truth about McCarthy: he’s not holding a winning hand.

In fact, over the course of three ballots,...

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