McCarthy Makes Major Progress, Switches 15 GOP Reps to His Side - Here Are Their Names
Kevin McCarthy inched closer to the speaker's gavel Friday.
McCarthy secured 15 additional Republican votes for Speaker of the House in two different votes in the chamber on Friday.
The Republican leader broke through with 14 new votes in the 12th vote for speaker, according to NPR.
The latest tally leaves McCarthy with 214 votes, leaving him four short of the 218 needed for the speaker's gavel in a format where all 435 members of the House of Representatives cast a vote.
Some of the members of Congress who swung for McCarthy are some of his fiercest critics.
Reps. Andy Ogles and Paul Gosar are among the GOP dissidents who voted for McCarthy in the 12th vote, a reversal after their criticism of the Speaker-designate.
Reps. Gosar and Ogles both switched their votes to McCarthy
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 6, 2023
Rep. Byron Donalds -- a member whom McCarthy's critics had proposed as an alternative speaker candidate -- cast a vote for the California Republican.
Rep. Byron Donalds, who voted for McCarthy on the first two ballots but has since voted against him, now votes for McCarthy on the 12th ballot.
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 6, 2023
The votes (all Republicans) that swung for McCarthy in the game-changing 12th and 13th speaker votes were as follows:
Rep. Dan Bishop (N.C.)
Rep.-elect John Brecheen (Okla.)
Rep. Michael Cloud (Texas)
Rep. Andrew Clyde (Ga.)
Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.)
Rep.-elect Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.)
Rep.-elect Keith Self (Texas)
Rep. Mary Miller (Ill.)
Rep. Ralph Norman (S.C.)
Rep. Scott Perry (Pa.)
Rep. Chip Roy (Texas)
Rep. Victoria Spartz (Ind.)
Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.)
Rep. Andy Ogles (Tenn.)
Rep. Andy Harris (Md.)
McCarthy is believed to have secured the new support in his own caucus with generous House rules concessions to his opponents, according to ABC News.
The 13th vote for speaker ended with McCarthy picking up Harris' vote.
15th flip today from rebel camp to McCarthy: @RepAndyHarrisMD
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 6, 2023
Six Republicans are still holding out on casting a vote for McCarthy. These include some of his most hardcore critics, such as Reps. Matt Gaetz and Andy Biggs.
McCarthy could potentially become speaker by receiving as few as two or three of their votes -- if not every member of the House is present in a subsequent vote for the gavel.
The House voted to adjourn until 10 p.m. Friday night after the 13th vote.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
