McCarthy, Kevin (1965-…), served as the speaker of the United States House of Representatives from January to October 2023. He served as the majority leader from 2014 to 2019, and as the minority leader from 2019 to 2023. McCarthy, a Republican, represented California in the House from 2007 to 2023.
McCarthy was born on Jan. 26, 1965, in Bakersfield, California. He earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University at Bakersfield in 1989. He received a master’s degree in business administration from the university in 1994. In 1986, McCarthy used money he had won in the state lottery to help open a delicatessen, a store that sells sandwiches and other prepared foods.
In 1987, McCarthy began working for U.S. Representative Bill Thomas. In 2000, McCarthy won election to the Kern County Community College District Board. In 2002, he was elected to the California State Assembly. He served there from 2002 to 2006. He held the post of the Assembly’s minority leader for two years.
In 2006, McCarthy won election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He took office in 2007. As a congressman, McCarthy served on the House committees on Administration, Homeland Security, and Natural Resources. McCarthy served as chief deputy whip, the third-highest leadership position, of the House Republicans from 2008 to 2011. In January 2011, when the Republicans gained a majority in the House, McCarthy was elected majority whip, or assistant majority leader. In June 2014, then-majority leader Eric Cantor was defeated in a Republican primary election. Cantor stepped down from his leadership position, which cleared the way for McCarthy’s election to the post. In the 2018 elections, Republicans lost their majority in the House. McCarthy was then elected minority leader.
The Republicans won a majority in the House in the 2022 elections. McCarthy was then elected speaker of the House, on Jan. 7, 2023. His election as speaker came on the 15th round of voting. The 15 rounds extended over several days and were the most rounds needed to elect a speaker since 1859. To secure the speakership, McCarthy yielded to the demands of a group of right-wing House members who had insisted that the new speaker give up many of the speaker’s traditional powers.
In October 2023, Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, a Republican, introduced a motion to oust McCarthy from his position as speaker. McCarthy’s right-wing Republican opponents had criticized him for relying on votes from Democrats to secure a deal in late September that prevented a government shutdown. On October 3, Democrats joined with eight Republicans in removing McCarthy from the speakership. McCarthy resigned from the House on Dec. 31, 2023.
