House Speaker Vote of 2023

Related to Lets from 2035 Lore is the House Speaker Vote of 2023 a current updating page of the 2023 House Speaker vote which at time of writing is on its 12th round of voting. This event began the Schism between Republican's and Far right extremists within the party among the ranks is Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebart slowly showing their ugly heads in the fracturing of the Republican party.

Beginning on January 3, 2023, the first day of the 118th United States Congress and two months after the 2022 U.S. House elections, the incoming House members have been holding an election for speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. It is the 128th U.S. speaker election since the office was created in 1789.

The Republican Party won a narrow majority of House seats in the 2022 U.S. elections. Republican conference leader Kevin McCarthy won the nomination within the Republican conference but faced public opposition from some House Republicans, mainly members of the Freedom Caucus, prior to the vote. With 19 Republicans voting for candidates other than McCarthy on the first ballot, no candidate achieved the necessary majority and the election proceeded to additional ballots for the first time since the 1923 U.S. speaker election. In the first round of voting, Democratic Party caucus leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York's 8th congressional district received 212 votes, McCarthy of California's 20th congressional district received 203 votes, and Andy Biggs of Arizona's 5th congressional district received 10 votes; other candidates who were not formally nominated received nine votes.

On the second through tenth votes, McCarthy again failed to receive a majority of votes cast. Jeffries received the support of all Democrats in every round. Although he nominated and voted for McCarthy, Jim Jordan of Ohio's 4th congressional district received all votes of Republicans opposed to McCarthy on the second and third rounds. Following three unsuccessful votes on January 3, the House adjourned until noon on January 4. During the fourth vote, Texas Republican Chip Roy nominated Byron Donalds, who replaced Jordan as the Republican alternative to McCarthy. In the fourth and subsequent ballots, one member (Victoria Spartz) voted *present* (abstention), lowering the necessary threshold to 217 votes.

Following three more unsuccessful ballots on January 4, the House again adjourned until 8pm the same day, then voted to adjourn again until noon on January 5. The House reconvened on January 5, and on the seventh and eighth ballot no candidate achieved a majority of the vote. Donalds continued as the main opposition to McCarthy, while former president Donald Trump and Representative Kevin Hern received votes despite not being formally nominated. On the ninth ballot, Hern was formally nominated and received three votes. As no candidate received a majority of the votes in the tenth ballot, an eleventh one took place on the same day, making this the longest speaker election since that of December 1859 – February 1860.

## Contents

* 1Process and conventions
* 2Democratic nomination
	+ 2.1Candidates
	+ 2.2Result
* 3Republican nomination
	+ 3.1Candidates
	+ 3.2Results
	+ 3.3Aftermath
* 4Election of the speaker
	+ 4.1Day one (January 3)
	+ 4.2Day two (January 4)
	+ 4.3Day three (January 5)
	+ 4.4Votes cast by members
* 5Notes
* 6References

## Process and conventions[edit]

As the outgoing clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Cheryl Johnson oversees the 2023 election of a speaker and is therefore the acting presiding officer.
The speaker is the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives. The House elects its speaker at the beginning of a new Congress (i.e. biennially, after Election Day) or when a speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from the position intra-term. Since 1839, the House has elected speakers by roll call vote. Following an election, there being no speaker, the outgoing clerk summons, convenes, and calls the House to order. After prayer offered by the chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, the clerk leads the Representatives in the Pledge of Allegiance before ordering a roll call. They then order and oversee the election of a speaker of the House. During these processes, the clerk must "preserve order and decorum and decide all questions of order", which is subject to appeal.

Traditionally, each of the party caucuses and conferences in the U.S. Congress selects a candidate for the speakership from among its senior leaders prior to the roll call. Representatives are not restricted to voting for the candidate nominated by their party but generally do, as the outcome of the election effectively determines which one is the majority party and consequently will organize the House.

Representatives that choose to vote for someone other than their party's nominated candidate usually vote for another member within the party or vote *present*, which entails abstention. Moreover, as the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly state that the speaker must be an incumbent member of the House, it is permissible for representatives to vote for someone who is not a member of the House at the time, and non-members have received a few votes in various speaker elections over the past several years. Nevertheless, every person elected speaker has been a member. Upon winning election, the new speaker is immediately sworn in by the dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, the chamber's longest-serving member. The new speaker then administers the oath en masse to the rest of the members of the House.

To be elected speaker, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of the votes cast, as opposed to an absolute majority of the full membership of the House—presently 218 votes, in a House of 434 members. There is one vacancy in the current House, caused by the death of Donald McEachin (D-VA). There have only been a few instances during the past century where a person received a majority of the votes cast and thus won the election while failing to obtain a majority of the full membership. It happened most recently in January 2021 when Nancy Pelosi was elected with 216 votes (as opposed to 218). Such a variation in the number of votes necessary to win a given election might arise due to vacancies, absentees, or members being present but not voting. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes cast for a person by name, then the roll call is repeated until a speaker is elected. Multiple roll calls have been necessary only 14 times since 1789; prior to this election, it was not since December 1923, when a closely divided House needed nine ballots to elect Frederick H. Gillett speaker.

Without a speaker of the House, members-elect of the House cannot be sworn in. The House is unable to conduct any other business than electing the speaker. Because the rules of the House are adopted for each new Congress, the House will not have rules until the election is complete allowing the members to be sworn in and the House to adopt rules.

## Democratic nomination[edit]

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives Democratic Caucus leadership election
Nancy Pelosi, the outgoing speaker, retired from the position and announced her support for Hakeem Jeffries.
During the 2019 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives election, Nancy Pelosi struck a deal with certain members in the Democratic caucus that she would retire from the position of speaker after the 2022 U.S. House elections to ensure a majority voted for her. On November 17, 2022, Pelosi confirmed during a speech on the floor of the House that she would not run again for a leadership position.

### Candidates[edit]

#### Nominee[edit]

* Hakeem Jeffries, incumbent chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and representative from New York's 8th congressional district

#### Declined[edit]

* Jim Clyburn, outgoing majority whip, former assistant Democratic leader, and representative from South Carolina's 6th congressional district
* Steny Hoyer, outgoing House Majority Leader, and representative from Maryland's 5th congressional district
* Nancy Pelosi, outgoing speaker of the House, former minority leader, and representative from California's 12th congressional district
* Adam Schiff, incumbent chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and representative from California's 28th congressional district
* Pete Aguilar, incumbent vice chair of the Democratic caucus, and representative from California's 31st congressional district
* Katherine Clark, incumbent assistant speaker, former vice chair of the Democratic caucus, and representative from Massachusetts's 5th congressional district

### Result[edit]

On November 30, Hakeem Jeffries was selected by acclamation.

## Republican nomination[edit]

In the October 2015 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives election, McCarthy ran for the Republican nomination and was initially judged as the favorite. As the House Freedom Caucus refused to vote for McCarthy in the full House, he did not have a majority of the House. McCarthy withdrew from the race, and Paul Ryan was elected speaker.

### Candidates[edit]

#### Nominee[edit]

* Kevin McCarthy, former minority and majority leader, representative from California's 23rd congressional district

#### Lost nomination[edit]

* Andy Biggs, former chair of the Freedom Caucus and representative from Arizona's 5th congressional district

### Results[edit]

The Republican conference vote was held on November 15, 2022, and despite a challenge from Biggs, McCarthy won the majority of votes, becoming the Republican nominee for speaker of the House. As McCarthy did not win at least 218 votes, a majority of the seats in the House, it caused media speculation of McCarthy's ability to be voted in as Speaker.

 Andy Biggs

### Aftermath[edit]

In response to right-wing opposition to McCarthy's nomination, Representative Don Bacon threatened to form a coalition of moderate Republicans who would work with the Democrats to successfully install a speaker. Several names were floated as a potential compromise candidate, the most prominent of which was Fred Upton, a moderate Republican who had been the representative for Michigan's 6th congressional district up to his retirement in the 2022 election cycle. McCarthy and his supporters spent December and the first days of January negotiating with right-wing opponents of McCarthy to persuade them to support him on the floor. At a closed-door meeting shortly before the speaker vote on January 3, Mike Rogers of Alabama threatened dissident Republicans with removal from House committees.

Prior to the 2023 vote, *Politico* reported that at least five Republican representatives had refused to support McCarthy, while another nine had not publicly commented on whether they would. This threatened his bid for the speakership, as the Republican Party had a slim majority (222–212) and thus could only afford to lose 4 votes in the speaker vote, which requires a majority, which would be 218 if all members vote. It was reported that these representatives demanded that McCarthy make concessions before these representatives would support him, such as lowering the barriers for caucus members to force a vote to remove a sitting speaker and other procedural matters. House Freedom Caucus member Bob Good said that McCarthy "has not done anything to earn my vote", explaining that "[t]here's many times where we ... asked him to fight on various opportunities and various issues, and I have not seen the demonstrated fight that we're looking for." The Club for Growth, a conservative political advocacy group, has openly called for House Republicans to oppose his nomination.

## Election of the speaker[edit]

The election for speaker began on January 3, 2023, at the start of the 118th Congress. At the time of the proceedings, there was one vacant seat, Virginia's 4th congressional district.

### Day one (January 3)[edit]

#### First ballot[edit]

Representative Andy Biggs was nominated on the first ballot.
On the first ballot, 19 Republicans voted for candidates other than McCarthy, while Jeffries received the most votes with all Democrats present voting in his favor; since no nominee received an outright majority of the vote, a second ballot took place for the first time since the December 1923 U.S. speaker election. Elise Stefanik of New York gave a nominating speech for McCarthy, Pete Aguilar of California nominated Jeffries, and Paul Gosar of Arizona nominated Andy Biggs.

Lee Zeldin, whose term as a House member had ended with the close of the 117th and previous Congress, was no longer an incumbent representative.

#### Second ballot[edit]

Representative Jim Jordan was nominated on the second and third ballots.
On the second ballot, the same 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy, this time coalescing their votes around Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida nominated Jordan, while Jordan himself nominated and voted for McCarthy. Aguilar again nominated Jeffries.

2023 election for speaker (second ballot)
 Total votes

#### Third ballot[edit]

Republican Steve Scalise of Louisiana nominated McCarthy, Chip Roy of Texas nominated Jordan, and Aguilar again nominated Jeffries. Jordan again voted for McCarthy, not for himself. Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, who had voted for McCarthy on the first two ballots, instead voted for Jordan, increasing Jordan's vote total to 20. Donalds wrote on Twitter about his decision to change his vote, stating that "the reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn't have the votes."

2023 election for speaker (third ballot)
 Total votes

After the third ballot, Republican Tom Cole of Oklahoma moved to adjourn the meeting until 12:00 pm EST (UTC−5) on January 4, and the motion was approved by voice vote.

### Day two (January 4)[edit]

#### Fourth ballot[edit]

Representative Victoria Spartz began voting *present* on the fourth ballot, switching her vote from McCarthy, lowering the majority threshold from 218 to 217.

Ahead of the fourth ballot of voting on January 4, former president Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for McCarthy to be speaker of the House and urged all House Republicans to vote for him. Ralph Norman, one of the Republicans opposed to McCarthy, stated that McCarthy would win over additional votes from the Republican holdouts by committing to shutting down the U.S. government over raising the United States debt ceiling.

After a quorum call, Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and Roy nominated Byron Donalds. Despite Trump's endorsement, the 20 members who had voted for Jordan in the third ballot again opposed McCarthy, voting in this round for Donalds. Victoria Spartz, who had voted for McCarthy on each previous ballot, voted *present* (abstention). Spartz explained her vote of *present* as a message that more deliberations are needed.

#### Fifth ballot[edit]

On the fifth ballot, Ohio Republican Warren Davidson nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert nominated Donalds. All members voted for the same candidates on the fifth ballot as they did on the fourth.

#### Sixth ballot[edit]

Following the sixth ballot, Majority Leader-elect Steve Scalise was seen as an alternative to McCarthy
On the sixth ballot, Florida Republican Kat Cammack nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and Pennsylvania Republican Scott Perry nominated Donalds. Prior to the ballot, Representative Ken Buck of Colorado suggested to CNN that McCarthy should withdraw from consideration for Speaker if he could not reach a majority; he nonetheless voted again for McCarthy. All members voted for the same candidates on the sixth ballot as they did on the fourth and fifth.

The House agreed to adjourn until 8:00 pm EST (UTC−5) the same day by voice vote. After reconvening at 8:00, the House agreed to adjourn again until 12:00 pm EST (UTC−5) the next day, January 5, by a vote of 216–214. Of those who voted against adjournment, 210 were Democrats and four were Republicans: Biggs, Boebert, Eli Crane, and Gaetz. Following the sixth ballot, it was reported by *Politico* that Donalds was unlikely to be the final choice of the anti-McCarthy Republicans, with Chair of the Republican Study Committee Kevin Hern of Oklahoma being floated as a potential candidate. Representative Pete Sessions of Texas also suggested that Republicans should begin to consider other Speaker candidates, with House Majority Leader-elect Steve Scalise of Louisiana being specifically named.

Ahead of a seventh vote on the speakership, McCarthy offered several concessions, including allowing a single party member to motion for a vote to remove the speaker, appointing additional Freedom Caucus members to the House Rules Committee, and holding votes on bills concerning congressional term limits in the United States and border security. At the same time, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with McCarthy, reached an agreement with the Club for Growth not to spend money in the primary election of Republicans in open districts that are considered safe seats for the party.

### Day three (January 5)[edit]

#### Seventh ballot[edit]

For the seventh ballot, Michigan Republican John James nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, and North Carolina Republican Dan Bishop nominated Donalds. Gaetz, who had voted for Donalds on the fourth, fifth, and sixth ballots, instead voted for former president Donald Trump. All other members voted for the same candidates as they did on the fourth, fifth, and sixth ballots.

On each of the seventh and eighth ballots, despite not being nominated, former president Donald Trump received one vote. He would formally be nominated on the eleventh ballot.

#### Eighth ballot[edit]

For the eighth ballot, Florida Republican Brian Mast nominated McCarthy, Massachusetts Democrat Katherine Clark nominated Jeffries, and Biggs nominated Donalds. Boebert, as well as Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, who had both previously supported Donalds, cast their votes for Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, who was not formally nominated. All other members voted for the same candidates as they did on the seventh ballot.

#### Ninth ballot[edit]

On the ninth ballot, Representative Ken Buck was unable to vote due to a planned non-emergency medical procedure in Colorado, leading to an absentee vote
For the ninth ballot, Texas Republican Troy Nehls nominated McCarthy, California Democrat Ted Lieu nominated Jeffries, Montana Republican Matt Rosendale nominated Donalds, and Boebert nominated Hern. All members voted for the same candidates as they did on the eighth ballot, except Gaetz, who voted for Hern instead of Trump. Ken Buck of Colorado, who had been a McCarthy supporter, was absent from the vote due to traveling for a planned non-emergency medical procedure in Colorado.

#### Tenth ballot[edit]

On the tenth ballot, Arizona Republican Juan Ciscomani nominated McCarthy, Aguilar again nominated Jeffries, Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna nominated Donalds, and Boebert again nominated Hern.[*citation needed*]

#### Eleventh ballot[edit]

On the eleventh ballot, French Hill of Arkansas nominated McCarthy, Joe Neguse of Colorado nominated Jeffries, Gaetz nominated Trump, and Bob Good of Virginia nominated Hern.

### Day four (January 6)[edit]

#### Twelfth ballot[edit]

On the twelfth ballot, Mike Garcia of California nominated McCarthy, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina nominated Jeffries, Gaetz nominated Jordan, and Boebert again nominated Hern. On this ballot, 14 Republican members voted for McCarthy who had not in some or all previous rounds. Buck, David Trone of Maryland, and Wesley Hunt of Texas were absent. This ballot marked the first time that McCarthy won a plurality of the votes cast.

#### Thirteenth ballot[edit]

On the thirteenth ballot, James Comer of Kentucky nominated McCarthy and Veronica Escobar of Texas nominated Jeffries. For the first time, there were no other nominations. Andy Harris of Maryland voted for McCarthy for the first time on this ballot.

### Votes cast by members[edit]

All House members of the 118th Congress voted for their party's nominee in every ballot except those noted here.

### Summary of the votes[edit]

 Democratic nominee who won the internal caucus vote

 Republican nominee who won the internal conference vote

 Other Republican nominees

 Persons receiving one or more votes without being formally nominated

## Impact[edit]

### Consequences while there is no speaker[edit]

While the House is without a speaker, in the words of *The New York Times*, it "essentially becomes a useless entity." Congress cannot pass bills or adopt resolutions. Incoming members cannot setup their constituent services and are barred from accessing their security clearances. The speaker's place in the U.S. presidential line of succession is skipped, and the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate (Patty Murray) becomes second in line to the presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris.

Moreover, the government of the District of Columbia is unable to enact any laws. Because the District of Columbia Home Rule Act specifies that laws passed by the district are subject to a congressional review period before becoming law, the district must hand deliver physical copies of the laws to both the Senate's president pro tempore and the House's speaker. Therefore, with no speaker to receive the copies, the congressional review period cannot begin.

### C-SPAN popularity[edit]

C-SPAN, an American cable and satellite television network that televises proceedings of the House, was given permission ahead of the speaker election to roam its cameras across the chamber, independent from the typical government restrictions placed on it. This major deviation from its typical broadcast style has captured moments that viewers do not normally see. It saw increased popularity as it broadcast the election. C-SPAN plans to make a case for more independence in the future.

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:***a*** ***b*** ***c*** ***d*** ***e*** ***f*** ***g*** ***h*** ***i*** This candidate received one or more votes on this ballot despite not being formally nominated.
2. **^** The Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that all members' terms begin at noon on January 3. Within the House, these individuals are referred to as members-elect until they have been sworn in.
3. **^** Republicans could afford only to lose 4 votes if members voted for a person other than their conference's nominee but could lose up to 9 if those members voted present.
4. **^** Vote totals for candidates who were formally nominated are shaded by party color. Other candidates were not formally nominated.
5. **^** Virginia's 4th district seat was vacant at the time of the vote.