On Thursday, the House speaker election made history by exceeding nine rounds of voting, the most since 1860. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was the favorite to win the election, failed to secure the necessary votes in the ninth round, with two changes to the vote tally from the eighth round. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) switched his vote from former President Donald Trump to Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), while Rep. Ken Buck, who had consistently voted for McCarthy, did not vote. All 212 Democrats continued to vote for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). In an effort to win votes, McCarthy reportedly agreed to a number of concessions, including one that would severely curtail his power by lowering the vote threshold for the Republican conference to begin the process for ejecting the speaker to a single member. Despite this, Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) has continued to vote against McCarthy and denies he will resign if McCarthy is elected.
The chaotic speaker election has highlighted the deep divisions within the Republican party and raised questions about the future of the House under Republican control. With no clear outcome, the GOP is unsure of the direction they will take and who will lead them. It remains to be seen how the party will reconcile their differences and move forward.