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.
Here's how the story is developing. All times Eastern.
Jan 06, 2023, 10:09 PM EST
House gavels back in for 14th speaker vote
House Clerk Cheryl Johnson gaveled in the chamber just after 10 p.m.
Members were starting a 14th vote for a speaker. Republican leader McCarthy said he's confident he will have the support tonight to clinch the speaker's gavel.
Fifteen Republican holdouts flipped for McCarthy this afternoon after days of stalemate in the speakership battle. He will need more of his opponents to switch their stances or vote "present" tonight in order to win.
Former President Donald Trump spent the day calling the Republican holdouts, including the remaining six defectors, in hopes of getting them to flip their votes to McCarthy, sources familiar with the calls told ABC News. But Trump's endorsement of McCarthy earlier this week was essentially a non-factor.
The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington, Jan. 6, 2023.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Jan 06, 2023, 4:30 PM EST
'We'll have the votes and finish this once and for all,' McCarthy says
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy seems all but certain that he has the votes to push this over the finish line tonight.
"I'll have the votes," McCarthy said as he headed off the House floor after the chamber adjourned until 10 p.m.
"We'll come back tonight, and I believe at that time we'll have the votes and finish this once and for all," he said.
McCarthy attempted to portray the drawn-out negotiations and multiple ballots -- the most since before the Civil War -- as a positive thing. "This is the great part," he said. "Because it took so long now we learned how to govern."
Rep. Kevin McCarthy speaks with reporters as the House meets for the fourth day to try and elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Jan. 6, 2023.
Matt Rourke/AP
But to be clear, this is still a bit of a numbers game and McCarthy doesn't have the votes yet.
He still needs to flip votes. If there are zero absences , McCarthy would need to flip two of the six remaining holdouts: Reps.-elect Andy Biggs, Lauren Boebert, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good and Matt Rosendale.
But there are other paths to the speakership, again assuming no absences when members reconvene: Either one flips of remaining holdouts; one flip and one (or more) "present" votes; if no flips, three or more "present: votes.
Asked by ABC News what he says to those who think he's giving up too much to a small percentage of his conference, McCarthy argued that it was actually the whole conference that came together on these reforms.
"The whole conference worked on these reforms. These reforms are actually very good. It empowers the members," he said.
--ABC News Katherine Faulders, Lauren Peller, Will Steakin and Ben Siegel
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.
