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

McCarthy finally won the speaker's gavel after historic 15 rounds of voting.

ByLibby Cathey, Alexandra Hutzler, Tal Axelrod, and Benjamin Siegel
Last Updated: January 9, 2023, 8:14 AM EST

The House Republican leadership standoff ended early Saturday morning with Kevin McCarthy winning the speaker's gavel on a historic 15th vote.

It was the longest such election since 1859.

The drama stretched into a fourth day Friday with three more failed votes to decide on a speaker after 11 others over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday -- the last one ending in a heated one-vote loss at the hands of holdout Matt Gaetz.

McCarthy had been stymied by a small group of hardliners demanding concessions to reshape how the House is run and legislation it prioritizes.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the story is developing. All times Eastern.
Jan 06, 2023, 2:50 PM EST

One more Republican flips, McCarthy still short

Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland appears to be the only remaining holdout Republican to flip his vote for McCarthy so far in the 13th round of voting, signaling more momentum for McCarthy but not enough to win the speakership.

Republican Rep. of Kevin McCarthy, 2nd left, speaks with Rep. Ralph Norman, 3rd from left, after the 12th vote for House Speaker at the US Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2023.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

While no other Republican was formally nominated this round, five voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Bob Good, R-Va., Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., and Rep.-elect Eli Crane remain in the "Never Kevin" crowd.

Jan 06, 2023, 2:22 PM EST

With Democrat David Trone back on floor, McCarthy will need 217 votes to win

Rep. David Trone, D-Md., is back on the House floor for this 13th round of voting.

Assuming he does vote, that will bring support for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to 212 votes and the total number of votes cast to 432. That would mean the new magic number McCarthy would need to win the speakership is 217 votes -- four more than he got in the previous round.

--ABC News' Rick Klein

Jan 06, 2023, 2:15 PM EST

House moves on to 13th vote for speaker

The House is moving full steam ahead with another vote for speaker.

Rep.-elect James Comer of Kentucky stood up shortly after Clerk Cheryl Johnson announced the results of the 12th round to nominate McCarthy.

"In a Republican majority, under speaker Kevin McCarthy, this broken Congress will finally be fixed, and we will return to regular order and drag those senators kicking and screaming along with us every step of the way," Comer said.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker. No Republican alternative to McCarthy was nominated this round.

Jan 06, 2023, 1:58 AM EST

7 far-right Republicans remain holdouts

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.

Rep. Matt Gaetz delivers remarks in the House Chamber during the fourth day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 06, 2023, in Washington.
Win Mcnamee/Getty Images

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.

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