Kevin McCarthy drops out of House speaker race


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SALT LAKE CITY — The chances of Rep. Jason Chaffetz becoming U.S. House speaker may have gotten a boost with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's sudden departure Thursday from the race.

"We need to find somebody that our whole body can unite behind and do what we were elected to do," Chaffetz said, adding he "absolutely" is continuing to campaign for the speakership.

"I really do believe it is time for a fresh start," the Utah Republican said after McCarthy announced to the House Republican conference he was withdrawing his bid to replace House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

The closed-door meeting abruptly ended without hearing from the other candidates taking on the majority leader from California, Chaffetz and Florida Rep. Daniel Webster.

Now, Chaffetz is likely to face more competition as Republicans attempt to recover from the chaos created.

Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, raised the possibility of a high-profile Republican such as Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan or South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy stepping up to become an interim speaker.

"Sometimes the best person for the job is the person who doesn't want it," said Love, who is close to both Ryan and Gowdy. Both continued to say Thursday they're not interested in the position.

Even Mitt Romney's name has surfaced since there's nothing preventing someone who is not a member of Congress from serving as speaker. A more likely role for Romney may be trying to talk Ryan, his vice-presidential pick in 2012, into taking the post.

"There's no question others will get in the race," Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, said, calling it too early to evaluate the impact on Chaffetz's candidacy. "This opens up the race entirely."

Stewart said he's not sold on the idea of an interim speaker.

"My initial reaction is I want us to elect a speaker and I want us to move forward," Stewart said. "I think it's nuts that we can't elect a speaker in this House. We need to be able to do that."

Both Love and Stewart had pledged their support to Chaffetz but said Thursday they want to see what happens with the race. The remaining Utah House member, Rep. Rob Bishop, also a Republican, has not said how he'd vote.


There's no question others will get in the race. This opens up the race entirely.

–Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah


Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told Bloomberg he felt badly for McCarthy, calling his decision to pull out of the race "quite startling to me because I figured he would be the speaker."

On Wednesday, Hatch told Politico that Chaffetz's challenge could hurt McCarthy, "a pretty bad thing. The more the House stays in chaos, the worse it will be." On Thursday, the senator said he would support Chaffetz but wasn't sure he'd be chosen.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, suggested the turmoil in the House is a reality check.

"The angst and frustration that the American people are feeling is finally reaching Congress," Lee said. "Many in Washington are realizing that the status quo won't cut it anymore."

Love told KSL Newsradio's Doug Wright that House Republicans had just started their closed-door meeting to nominate a speaker when McCarthy stood up and said he was "not the guy" to unite the party.

The reaction, she said, was confusion and shock.

Boehner, who recently announced he was leaving Congress at the end of the month, said he'll stay until his replacement is selected. The full House had been scheduled to vote on a new speaker on Oct. 29.

Chaffetz said he was "absolutely stunned, surprised and shocked that this happened," but there will have to be "a lot of deep soul searching" among Republicans to determine what happens next.

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"I think we have a lot of internal fracturing that's happening, and we need to find a way to unite the party," he said. "I think the conference has to unite behind a plan. We'll have those discussions in the coming weeks."

A Washington source with Utah ties said the turmoil will help Chaffetz.

"I think he's got a great chance. I think he's got a very clear path to do this," the source said. "There's nobody clamoring and saying, 'Pick me. Pick me.' The longer that's happening, he can make the case, 'I'm here. I can do it.'"

The source said the 48-year-old congressman from Alpine brings credibility with the party's base as well as with House leaders. Under Boehner, Chaffetz became chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Chaffetz started contacting colleagues late last week about running. In his announcement Sunday on "Fox News Sunday," Chaffetz portrayed himself as a "bridge builder" between establishment and conservative Republicans in the House.

The possibility of a Utahn taking the top spot in the House, already a long shot, seemed less likely after the conservative House Freedom Caucus decided Wednesday to back Webster, who had unsuccessfully challenged Boehner before.

To become speaker takes at least 218 votes. Chaffetz has said while he expected McCarthy to have the support of the GOP conference, conservatives threw the results of the floor vote in doubt.

Contributing: Andrew Adams

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