Kevin McCarthy Elected House Minority Leader

House Republicans elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Wednesday as the House Minority Leader for the next congressional term.

House Republicans elected McCarthy to be their next leader when they will serve in the minority in the aftermath of the 2018 midterm elections.

McCarthy received 159 votes from House Republicans, while 43 Republicans voted for House Freedom Caucus co-founder Jim Jordan (R-OH) for House Minority Leader.

Jordan promised that if elected, he will combat GOP “business as usual.”

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) became the House GOP conference chair.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) became House minority whip by acclamation and ran unopposed.

In a letter to his Republican colleagues in November, McCarthy promised to retake the House majority, contending that he helped build a majority from a deeper hole than they will have in January.

“I helped build a majority from a deeper hole than this, and I have what it takes to do it again,” the California Republican said. “That is why I have decided to run for Republican Leader and humbly ask for your support.”

McCarthy promised that if elected House Minority Leader, he will work with President Donald Trump to combat Democrats’ plan for open borders, socialized medicine, and increased debt.

Rep. McCarthy said, “We have seen where Democrats want to take our country — open borders, government-run healthcare, impeaching President Trump, and crushing debt for our kids and grandkids. We simply cannot let that happen.”

House Agriculture chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) cheered McCarthy’s election to leading Republicans in the minority.

“I’ve worked with Kevin since he got here, been at his chairmen’s table for four years. He’s the right guy,” Conaway said. “He’s got the contacts; he’s got that stratosphere of donors that can match Michael Bloomberg and those guys.”