Everything You Need to Know About US House Speaker Elections
US House of Representatives. (File)
US House Representative Kevin McCarthy is expected to become the new speaker of the House, even though there may be some not-inconsiderable hurdles on his way to the gavel.US lawmakers are expected to elect the new speaker of the House of Representatives this January 3 at noon.Current House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) seems to be the most likely person to secure the position, although his success is not guaranteed.The vote is going to be the first for the House to be held before new and returning representatives are sworn in.
How Voting is Conducted
The process is likely to take some time, as all representatives have to call out the name of the person whose candidacy they support from the floor, with the voting slated to start when the House has quorum.In order to be elected as speaker, a House representative must secure a simple majority of the votes.
Devil in the Details
At first glance, McCarthy’s victory seems to be all but assured since he was supported by the majority of Republicans during a closed-door vote to determine a nominee for that position. Republicans control 222 seats in the 435-seat House of Representatives, which is just above the 218 majority threshold.However, the situation may be complicated by two factors.First, during the upcoming vote, Republican lawmakers do not necessarily have to vote for their party’s nominee (in this case, McCarthy) – in fact, the person they might endorse may not even be a member of the House. One media outlet has noted how people like US President Joe Biden and ex-POTUS Donald Trump got votes for House speaker in the past.Second, lawmakers can simply vote “present” instead of naming a candidate, thus lowering the threshold required to secure the majority.
McCarthy’s Prospects
Recent media reports suggest that McCarthy may not be able to win the vote at the first round, even though he might be able to sway the opinion of his detractors by making concessions before a second round of voting, as the clerk will likely repeat the roll call if the first vote fails to produce a conclusive result.
How the Speaker is ‘Ordained’
Once a speaker is finally elected, he or she will take the chair on the dais by a bipartisan committee to be sworn in.The outgoing speaker is also expected to pass the gavel to their successor to signify a “peaceful transition of power from one party leader to another.”
