McCarthy loses fourth speaker vote with bid for gavel increasingly in peril

Kevin McCarthy suffered yet another stinging defeat on Wednesday as he lost in the fourth round of voting to elect a speaker – a major blow that increasingly imperils his bid for speaker and heightens uncertainty over whether he can still secure the gavel or if a viable candidate will emerge as an alternative. The House is voting in a fifth round.

House Republicans are at a contentious stalemate over who will serve as the next speaker amid what appears to be hardened opposition to McCarthy from a group of conservatives. The fight, which began on the first day of the 118th Congress, has thrown the new House GOP majority into chaos and undercut the party’s agenda.