Kevin McCarthy wins House speaker bid after gruelling 15-vote saga

The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as speaker of the US House of Representatives in a dramatic late-night vote, after quelling a days-long revolt from a bloc of far-right conservatives to finally capture the gavel on a historic 15th attempt.

The final tally was 216-212 with Democrats voting for their leader Hakeem Jeffries, and six Republican holdouts to McCarthy voting present.

The protracted fight paralyzed the new Congress and exposed deep rifts within the House Republican conference that foreshadowed a rocky two years ahead for the newly elected speaker. The conflict marked the first time in a century that the House failed to choose a speaker on the first ballot, and only four other speakership elections in US history have required more than 12 votes.

When McCarthy finished speaking, he moved quickly to swear in the members and formally open the 118th Congress in the post-midnight hours. Among them was George Santos, the embattled New York Republican, who is facing multiple federal and local investigations as well as calls to resign after it was revealed that he lied repeatedly about aspects of his background during his election campaign.

McCarthy had hoped to win the gavel on the 14th ballot, but he fell one vote short. When it became clear that McCarthy would not succeed, tensions erupted on the House floor.

Buck had missed earlier votes for health reasons, while Hunt was absent to be with his wife and newly born son. When Hunt and Buck cast their votes Friday night, Republicans applauded for them.

Although McCarthy has successfully won the speakership, he now faces the considerable challenge of attempting to govern with an unruly conference and a slim majority. The dynamics of the House Republican conference could make it much more difficult to advance must-pass legislation, such as a government spending package or a debt ceiling hike.

Over the past four years, McCarthy has managed to maintain his position as House Republican leader in part by striving to keep the peace with far-right members of his conference. The impact of that strategy was reflected in the lengthy debate over the speakership.

As McCarthy ascends to the speakership, time will tell whether his concessions to far-right members will be enough to keep him in charge. If not, another fight for the gavel could soon be on the horizon.