Kevin McCarthy

Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician who is the 55th and current speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, McCarthy represents California's 20th congressional district.[2][3][4]

Quick facts: Kevin McCarthy, 55th Speaker of the United St... ▼

Kevin McCarthy
Official portrait, 2023
55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2023 [lower-alpha 1]
Preceded by	Nancy Pelosi
House Minority Leader
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023
Deputy	Steve Scalise
Preceded by	Nancy Pelosi
Succeeded by	Hakeem Jeffries
Leader of the House Republican Conference
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Paul Ryan
House Majority Leader
In office August 1, 2014 – January 3, 2019
Speaker	John Boehner Paul Ryan
Preceded by	Eric Cantor
Succeeded by	Steny Hoyer
House Majority Whip
In office January 3, 2011 – August 1, 2014
Speaker	John Boehner
Preceded by	Jim Clyburn
Succeeded by	Steve Scalise
House Republican Chief Deputy Whip
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Leader	John Boehner
Preceded by	Eric Cantor
Succeeded by	Peter Roskam
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Bill Thomas
Constituency	22nd district (2007–2013) 23rd district (2013–2023) 20th district (2023–present)
Minority Leader of the California Assembly
In office January 5, 2004 – April 17, 2006
Preceded by	Dave Cox
Succeeded by	George Plescia
Member of the California State Assembly from the 32nd district
In office December 2, 2002 – November 30, 2006
Preceded by	Roy Ashburn
Succeeded by	Jean Fuller
Personal details
Born	Kevin Owen McCarthy (1965-01-26) January 26, 1965 (age 58) Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Judy Wages ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	2
Education	California State University, Bakersfield (BS, MBA)
Occupation	Politician
Signature
Website	House website Speaker website
Kevin McCarthy's voice Kevin McCarthy on the establishment of a select committee on the Chinese Communist Party Recorded January 10, 2023
Other offices 2000–2002: Member of the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees from Area 3[1] 1999–2001: Chair of the Young Republican National Federation

Born in Bakersfield, California, McCarthy graduated from California State University, Bakersfield. He served as a member of the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2006, the same year he was first elected to the U.S. House. McCarthy served as the House Republican chief deputy whip from 2009 to 2011 and then as the House majority whip from 2011 to 2014.[5][6] After House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's 2014 reelection loss in the Republican primary, McCarthy was elected majority leader under speaker John Boehner, a position he retained during Paul Ryan's speakership until 2019, when he was elected minority leader.[7] When Joe Biden won the 2020 U.S. presidential election, McCarthy supported Donald Trump's debunked claims of voter fraud and initially participated in efforts to overturn the results. After the U.S. Capitol was stormed during the 2021 electoral vote count, McCarthy reversed his previous comments on voter fraud in the election and blamed Trump for the riot.[8][9][10][11] By 2022, he had publicly reconciled with Trump.[12][13] McCarthy led the House Republicans through the 2022 elections, in which they gained a majority.

McCarthy was the Republican nominee for speaker in January 2023, but failed to win the speakership until the 15th ballot. As speaker, after a standoff between the McCarthy-led House Republican conference and the Biden administration, McCarthy and the Biden administration negotiated to resolve the 2023 debt-ceiling crisis and prevent what would have been a first-ever national default. To resolve the crisis, the parties negotiated the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which passed with bipartisan support in Congress before Biden signed it into law.[14]