New Congress live updates: What's next after Kevin McCarthy's speakership win

While Kevin McCarthy finally gained momentum in the 12th round of voting, flipping 14 votes in his favor, he still faces seven Republicans opposing his bid for speaker -- more than he can afford to lose.

Reps.-elect Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Bob Good, R-Va., Andy Harris, R-Md., Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., and Eli Crane, R-Ariz., have voted against McCarthy every round.

The incumbent lawmakers are part of the House Freedom Caucus and among the 139 House Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election two years ago.

Crane, a businessman and former Navy SEAL who flipped his seat following redistricting, and with Trump's endorsement, has trafficked in election conspiracy theories and repeatedly called on his home state of Arizona to overturn the 2020 results.

Fourteen of the Republicans who'd been opposing McCarthy's bid switched their stance in the 12th round of voting.

But it wasn't enough for him to clinch the speaker's gavel. McCarthy received 213 votes, still short of the majority needed.

He gained support from Reps.-elect Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Michael Cloud of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Byron Donalds of Florida, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Mary Miller of Illinois, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Chip Roy of Texas, Keith Self of Texas, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, Paul Gosar of Arizona and Andrew Ogles of Tennessee.

Perry, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, cited a "framework for an agreement" as he explained his shift in a Twitter post.

"We’re at a turning point," Perry wrote.

The flips follow a key concession from McCarthy to make it even easier to remove him as speaker if he is elected. Under the deal, a single member from either party could trigger an up-or-down simple majority vote on whether to remove the speaker.

In Friday's first round of voting -- the 12th round overall this week -- several of the Republicans who'd been opposing McCarthy's bid switched their stance.

But it remains unclear whether McCarthy will gain enough support to clinch the gavel. The vote is ongoing.

Responding to Rep. Mike Garcia saying McCarthy has "earned this position," Rep.-elect Matt Gaetz, R-Fla, blasted the bid as "an exercise in vanity" and cast McCarthy as "the LeBron James of special interest fundraising in this town."

"You only earn the position of speaker of the House if you can get the votes. Mr. McCarthy doesn't have the votes," Gaetz said. "He will not have the votes -- and he will not have the votes next week, next month, next year -- ad so one must wonder, madam clerk, is this an exercise in vanity for someone who has done the math, taken the counts, and is putting this institution threw something that absolutely is avoidable?"

Gaetz also drew colleagues that support McCarthy into his attack, prompting Rep.-elect Mike Bost of Illinois to shout at Gaetz, making the case that he wasn't gaining any traction in the debate. Several Republicans then left the chamber while Gaetz continued his nominating speech.

"They believe that Mr. McCarthy has earned the position of speaker of the house because he raised half a billion dollars to get Republicans elected," Gaetz said, as he was interrupted and members walked out.

"Selflessness is not selling shares of yourself to the lobbying core and then doing their bidding at the expense of the American people," Gaetz said. "But there certainly is intent. It's an intent driven almost exclusively by personal ambition, and that ambition is paralyzing the house now."

He ultimately nominated Rep. Jim Jordan, who is supporting McCarthy's bid.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo, also in the "Never Kevin" camp, went on to nominate Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., once again.

-ABC News' John Parkinson