Deadlocked US House fails to pick speaker in first ballot

US Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy (R) of California listens as the US House of Representatives convenes for the 118th Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 3, 2023. – Divided Republicans in the US House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker in the opening round of voting for the first time in 100 years Tuesday as right-wing rebels blocked McCarthy, the party favorite. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

Divided Republicans in the US House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker in the opening round of voting for the first time in 100 years Tuesday as right-wing rebels blocked the party favorite.

California lawmaker Kevin McCarthy was unable to earn the support of a simple majority among those present in the lower chamber of Congress, which flipped to narrow Republican control after last year’s midterm elections.

He didn’t even take a lead in the ballot — securing 203 votes against Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries’ 212 — and the process now goes to a second round.