Kevin McCarthy says he’ll run for reelection after resignation rumours

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Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has said that he’ll run for re-election in his Bakersfield seat, going against previous reporting that he might leave the House before the end of his term.

“I’m still here finishing me job,” he said, according to Politico. “No, I’m not resigning. I’m staying, so don’t worry.”

This comes after the outlet reported that the former speaker who was ousted from the post earlier this week indicated that he would remain at least past next week’s election to pick his successor to help the party get through the ensuing chaos.

He reportedly suggested to his conference of House Republicans after eight members of his party voted with the Democrats to remove him that he wanted to go back to California.

Republicans told Politico that Mr McCarthy’s speech was drowned out by the shouting of other lawmakers, but that he could be heard saying, “I’m going to spend time with my family”.

“I might have been given a bad break, but I’m still the luckiest man alive,” he said.

Meanwhile, some members of the GOP are pushing for his renomination as speaker despite him saying that he wouldn’t seek the job again.

Those Republicans say that no one else can reach the 218 votes needed to become speaker as current frontrunners Reps Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) may not get over that hurdle. But the vote to oust him shows the limited but entrenched opposition against Mr McCarthy within the right wing of the caucus.

Rep Tom McClintock (R-CA) said in a Thursday statement that the “only workable outcome is to restore Kevin McCarthy as Speaker under party rules that respect and enforce the right of the majority party to elect him”.

“This depends entirely on several of the dissidents to disenthrall themselves from their decision and to repair the damage before it is too late. I appeal to them to act while there is still time,” he added.

“I’ll do anything I can to help almost all of you. Don’t worry, I’ve raised a helluva lot of money in the last hour,” Mr McCarthy told his conference on Tuesday in the meeting behind closed doors when he announced that he wouldn’t attempt to regain the speakership.