WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s knack for helping colleagues get elected and his ability to maintain a personal connection have given him the advantage in the race for House majority leader despite calls by some Republicans for a new, more conservative direction.

McCarthy, 49, who is serving just his fourth term from California, has emerged as the clear front-runner to succeed Rep. Eric Cantor, whose loss in Virginia’s GOP primary to a far-right candidate with little money and name recognition stunned the House and prompted questions about where it should turn as it fills its new leadership vacuum.