Early next month, Republicans in the House of Representatives are expected to vote for a Speaker of the House to take over from Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as they take control of the chamber.
Current House party leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has some competition from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) for the position.
“I’m running for speaker to break the establishment,” Biggs said in a tweet about his decision to run. “Kevin McCarthy was created by, elevated by and maintained by the establishment.”
According to a CBS News report, the new speaker will likely need 218 votes – nearly all of the expected 221 seats the GOP will have in the House, since the party did not make as many gains as predicted before the midterm elections. CBS also reported that “a handful of Republicans have announced they will vote against McCarthy's bid to be speaker.”
In addition to Biggs, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina were on the list.
“Biggs’ candidacy gives McCarthy detractors a candidate to rally around, further complicating his already perilous path to the speakership,” said Axios.
Who are these two contenders?
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
Current Republican House leader McCarthy serves California’s 23rd district. He’s a is a Bakersfield native and his family has been in Kern County for generations. His grandfather was a cattle rancher, and his father was a firefighter.
According to his biography, McCarthy started his own small business when he was 21, Kevin O’s Deli. He then sold it to pay for college at California State University, Bakersfield.
“While at school, he interned for Congressman Bill Thomas and later became a member of Congressman Thomas’s staff,” said the biography. “In 2000, he won his first public election as Trustee to the Kern Community College District and then, in 2002, he was elected to represent the 32nd Assembly District in the California State Assembly.”
McCarthy was first elected to Congress in 2006 and quickly became Chief Deputy Whip, later serving as Majority Whip. In 2014, he was elected Republican Leader in the House.
Already, McCarthy has started talking about his plans for the House under GOP control.
“We’re learning in real-time how Twitter colluded to silence the truth about Hunter Biden's laptop just days before the 2020 presidential election,” said McCarthy in a tweet. “In 32 days, the new House Republican majority will get answers for the American people and the accountability they deserve.”
Rep. Andy Biggs
Biggs is a retired attorney and is licensed to practice in Arizona, Washington, and New Mexico, according to his biography. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies from Brigham Young University, a masters in Political Science from Arizona State University, and his J.D. from the University of Arizona.
In 2016, Biggs was elected to serve Arizona’s 5th district. Prior to his election, he was in the Arizona State House of Representatives for eight years and in the Arizona State Senate for six years. In 2012, Biggs was elected as State Senate President.
He is on the House Judiciary Committee as well as the House Oversight and Reform Committee and he was formerly chair of the House Freedom Caucus. Biggs’ also holds seats on the Border Security Caucus and the Western Caucus. He also co-founded the bipartisan War Powers Caucus.
“Andy has lifetime ratings of 100% with the Club for Growth and National Right to Life, 99% with NumbersUSA, 98% with FreedomWorks, 96% with American Conservative Union, and 96% with Heritage Action for America,” said his campaign website.
What might happen?
According to Axios, Biggs has pointed out instances when McCarthy was disloyal to former President Donald Trump, who still holds sway in the party. As of this week, five members of the Freedom Caucus have also “come out publicly against McCarthy,” said the outlet.
Although that does not seem like many, Axios said it could prevent McCarthy from getting the seat.
On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Hakeem Jefferies (D-N.Y.) was selected to replace Pelosi as party leader, though he will be the minority leader in the chamber. According to USA Today, “some moderate Republicans in the House have left the door open to working with Democrats to choose a mutually acceptable speaker,” though some doubt this possibility.
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