House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Thursday abruptly pulled out of his bid to be the next speaker of the House.
McCarthy was expected to coast to an easy win, as he was thought to have the support of nearly 200 Republicans.
But in a Republican-only meeting in which the election was set to take place, McCarthy surprised everyone, including Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, by saying he no longer believes he’s the best candidate.
“We need a new face in leadership, and I’m not that face,” he said, according to members in the room.
Republicans promptly postponed the election, and it was unclear when a new one would be scheduled.
Speaking after the surprising meeting, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., declined to say why McCarthy might have made the sudden switch. One reporter asked if it had anything to do with a letter from Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., which said all speaker candidates should come clean about any skeletons they have in their closet.
Jones told the Washington Examiner that he didn’t know if his letter had any impact on McCarthy’s decision.
Issa dodged that question, and said simply that McCarthy realized he wouldn’t be able to win the 218 votes he needed on the House floor. He also said he believes McCarthy would continue to serve in his current position.
“As far as we know, he is absolutely staying on as majority leader,” he said.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
