NEW YORK – After a tumultuous nine months, Republican Kevin McCarthy has announced his departure from Congress in a Wall Street Journal column on Wednesday. The 58-year-old former party leader and campaign fundraising juggernaut helped Republicans take control of the House in 2022, but his decision to leave could hamper party hopes of retaining the majority next year.
McCarthy’s departure comes after weeks of introspection as he considered the consequences for his California district and himself. “It’s a gut call,” McCarthy said at a New York Times event on Nov. 29. “I want to know that it’s the right thing to do.”
Having first entered Congress in 2007, McCarthy’s tenure as speaker was marked by stormy relations with Republican hardliners, who forced him to ensure 15 humiliating floor votes before receiving the gavel last January, and then voted him out on Oct. 3 after he backed a bipartisan spending measure that averted a government shutdown.
Despite the challenges, McCarthy won reelection in 2022 by a 35-point margin and his California district is not seen as competitive by the three main non-partisan election forecasters.
McCarthy’s decision to leave Congress marks the end of an era, but he remains committed to serving America in new ways.
Disagree RIP to a spineless politician #goodriddance