Replacing Kevin McCarthy: 5 things to know about the race for House speaker

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Monday, October 09, 2023

A man inspects the damage in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon after a rocket attack from Gaza on October 9, 2023. Israel relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip overnight and into October 9 as fighting with Hamas continued around the Gaza Strip, as the death toll from the war against the Palestinian militants surged above 1,100. | MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

3. Support for McCarthy returning to speakership picking up steam after Hamas' attacks on Israel

Shortly after his ouster, McCarthy released a statement on X insisting that he would “not seek to run again for Speaker of the House.” However, following the terrorist organization Hamas’ attacks against Israel launched on Saturday, a small group of lawmakers have called on the House to reinstate McCarthy to his former position and the former speaker has opened the door to doing so.

I will not seek to run again for Speaker of the House. I may have lost a vote today, but I fought for what I believe in—and I believe in America. It has been an honor to serve. https://t.co/4EMpOuwtzy
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) October 3, 2023

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., condemned removing McCarthy “as Israel faces an all out attack” as “dangerous,” adding, “The House should immediately reinstate McCarthy and stop screwing around.” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., identified McCarthy as “our leader” in an interview over the weekend, posting on X that he was “urging him to reconsider his decision” not to seek his old job.

Removing ?@SpeakerMcCarthy? from office, mid-term, was idiotic. Doing so as Israel faces an all out attack is dangerous. Uncertainty and chaos in the U.S. breeds vulnerability around the world. The House should immediately reinstate McCarthy and stop screwing around. pic.twitter.com/x5qaMAwUAV
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) October 7, 2023

????NEW: @SpeakerMcCarthy is our leader & we are urging him to reconsider his decision.

These times of chaos & uncertainty, have proved why it was such a mistake to vacate the chair.

Kevin has my support & the support of the vast majority of our Republican Members of Congress. pic.twitter.com/g3Txkj36dX
— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) October 8, 2023

In a statement released Thursday before the Hamas terror attacks, Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., asserted that “the only workable outcome is to restore Kevin McCarthy as Speaker under party rules that respect and enforce the right of the majority party to elect him.” Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., called on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to “allow his members to support Kevin McCarthy’s return to speaker.”

Rakich’s spreadsheet identifies Lawler, Gimenez, McClintock, Rutherford and Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., as five members supporting McCarthy for speaker.

When asked by radio host Hugh Hewitt Monday if he would “be willing to go back” to the speakership if the eight who voted against him “retreated,” McCarthy responded by saying, “Whatever the conference wants, I will do.”