Kevin McCarthy

**Kevin Owen McCarthy** (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician. He was the 55th Speaker of the House of Representatives from January 7, 2023 to October 3, 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before becoming speaker, he was the House minority leader of the United States House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023. He was the U.S. representative for California's 23rd district from 2007 to 2023.

McCarthy was voted out as speaker on October 3, 2023 by several members of his own party. His time as speaker was the third-shortest for a Speaker of the House in United States history, and he is the first speaker to ever be removed from the role during a legislative session.

## Early life

McCarthy was born on January 26, 1965, in Bakersfield, California. In 1984, at age 19, McCarthy ran his first business selling sandwiches out of the back of his uncle's yogurt shop on Stine Road.

McCarthy studied at California State University, Bakersfield, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing in 1989 and a Master of Business Administration in 1994. During college, he worked as a seasonal firefighter for the Kern County Fire Department.

## Early political career

McCarthy was elected to the California State Assembly in 2002. He became the Republican floor leader in 2003. In 2006, McCarthy was first elected to the United States House of Representatives as a representative for California's 22nd district.

## 2015 speaker campaign

On September 25, 2015, John Boehner announced his intention to resign as speaker of the House effective October 30, 2015. Many media outlets speculated that McCarthy would likely replace him. He was the presumptive successor to Speaker John Boehner.

On September 28, McCarthy formally announced his candidacy for Speaker of the House. Having held congressional office for less than nine years, McCarthy would have been the least experienced Speaker since 1891. On October 8, 2015, McCarthy dropped out of the race for Speaker of the House.

In October 2015, McCarthy was accused of having an affair with Representative Renee Ellmers. He had unexpectedly dropped out of the race for Speaker of the House shortly before the allegations surfaced.

### 2023 speaker campaign

He led the Republicans in gaining narrow control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections; however he failed to win the Speakership on the first fourteen ballots upon the start of the 118th Congress. He was criticized by far-right conservatives which refused to vote him in as speaker. He was elected speaker on the fifteenth ballot on January 7, 2023.

### Removal from office

On October 3, 2023, he was voted out of his role as Speaker of the House making it the first time in U.S. history that one has been removed during a legislative term. Voting to remove McCarthy were House Democrats and eight House Republicans: Gaetz, Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, and Matt Rosendale. After the vote, McCarthy announced he would not seek the speakership again. He was replaced by Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson on October 25, 2023.

### Retirement

On December 6, 2023, McCarthy announced that he would be resigning from the House at the end of that year. His term officially ended on December 31, 2023.

## Personal life

McCarthy and his wife, Judy, have two children. He and his family are Baptists and members of the Southern Baptist Convention.

## Other websites

- Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
- Congressman Kevin McCarthy  official U.S. House site
- Kevin McCarthy for Congress

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Kevin McCarthy
- **image**: Kevin McCarthy, official portrait, speaker.jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2023
- **office**: 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- **term start**: January 7, 2023
- **term end**: October 3, 2023
- **predecessor**: Nancy Pelosi
- **successor**: Mike Johnson (Louisiana politician), Mike Johnson
- **office1**: Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, House Minority Leader
- **term start1**: January 3, 2019
- **term end1**: January 3, 2023
- **deputy1**: Steve Scalise
- **predecessor1**: Nancy Pelosi
- **successor1**: Hakeem Jeffries
- **office2**: Leader of the House Republican Conference
- **term start2**: January 3, 2019
- **term end2**: October 25, 2023
- **predecessor2**: Paul Ryan
- **successor2**: Mike Johnson (Louisiana politician), Mike Johnson
- **office3**: Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, House Majority Leader
- **1blankname3**: Speaker
- **1namedata3**: John Boehner
Paul Ryan
- **term start3**: August 1, 2014
- **term end3**: January 3, 2019
- **predecessor3**: Eric Cantor
- **successor3**: Steny Hoyer
- **office4**: Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, House Majority Whip
- **1blankname4**: Speaker
- **1namedata4**: John Boehner
- **term start4**: January 3, 2011
- **term end4**: August 1, 2014
- **predecessor4**: Jim Clyburn
- **successor4**: Steve Scalise
- **office5**: Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, House Republican Chief Deputy Whip
- **leader5**: John Boehner
- **term start5**: January 3, 2009
- **term end5**: January 3, 2011
- **predecessor5**: Eric Cantor
- **successor5**: Peter Roskam
- **office6**: Member of the
United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives
from California
- **constituency6**: (2007–2013)
 (2013–2023)
- **term start6**: January 3, 2007
- **term end6**: December 31, 2023
- **predecessor6**: Bill Thomas
- **successor6**: Vince Fong
- **office7**: Minority Leader of the California State Assembly
- **term start7**: January 5, 2004
- **term end7**: April 17, 2006
- **predecessor7**: Dave Cox
- **successor7**: George Plescia
- **state assembly8**: California
- **district8**: California's 32nd State Assembly district, 32nd
- **term start8**: December 2, 2002
- **term end8**: November 30, 2006
- **predecessor8**: Roy Ashburn
- **successor8**: Jean Fuller
- **birth name**: Kevin Owen McCarthy
- **birth place**: Bakersfield, California, U.S.
- **party**: Republican Party (United States), Republican
- **children**: 2
- **signature**: Kevin McCarthy Signature.svg
- **education**: California State University, Bakersfield (Bachelor of Science, BS, Master of Business Administration, MBA)
- **website**: