Wednesday's fourth vote for House speaker ended up with Democrat Hakeem Jeffries in the lead, as did the fifth vote—and then the sixth. With 201 votes in the fourth, fifth, and sixth votes, Kevin McCarthy ended up some 16 votes shy of the 217 votes that are needed (down one from Tuesday because Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz, who voted for McCarthy in the first three rounds, has voted "present" on Wednesday). GOP Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida garnered 20 votes in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds. Jeffries had 212 votes all three times. All three were nominated in the sixth round. In nominating McCarthy, Rep. Kat Cammack called it "Groundhog Day, again." The House has now adjourned until 8pm Eastern, which will give McCarthy a few hours to try to make deals, the Guardian reports.
In nominating Donalds, Rep. Lauren Boebert called on former President Trump to urge McCarthy to pull out of the race; earlier in the day, Trump told the GOP to get behind McCarthy. "The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir you do not have the votes and it’s time to withdraw," she said, per the Hill. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports former congressman Justin Amash, a Republican who later decamped for the Libertarian Party, "is wandering around the House side of the Capitol and just offered himself as an alternative candidate for speaker." This file has been updated with results of the sixth vote. (More House of Representatives stories.)
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