McCarthy Clears Path to Become Majority Leader

“In a short 48 hours, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) went from being an overlooked figure on a hobbled leadership team to the overwhelming front-runner in a race that could make him the fastest riser to the majority leader’s post in congressional history,” the Washington Post reports.

“A win by McCarthy, in just his fourth term, would complete a remarkable transformation for the affable Californian, who just a year ago was dogged by criticism that he wasn’t tough enough to persuade recalcitrant GOP lawmakers to vote with the leadership on critically important issues. He also faced questions about whether his policy chops were substantive enough for the job.”

Los Angeles Times: “Part of the reason the affable Republican from California’s conservative Central Valley has been able to lay claim to the office so quickly is because, as the No. 3 GOP leader, he was in line when Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia unexpectedly lost his primary. Another part lies in McCarthy’s close relationships with so many of the House Republicans who will be voting in the internal party election next week — the lawmakers elected in 2010 and 2012 whom he personally recruited and has nurtured with pep talks at after-hours steak dinners.”

However, a group of conservative lawmakers told Roll Call “they still wanted an alternative candidate to McCarthy — and Sessions for that matter — and were expecting to announce one soon.”