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McCarthy Emerges as Speaker Candidate

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, is emerging as the frontrunner to replace Rep. John Boehner who announced Friday his resignation as the Speaker of the House of Representatives effective next month. McCarthy, who represents part of Lancaster and the Antelope Valley, was elevated to majority leader last year, making him the second most powerful Republican in the House. Reuters, New York Times and Washington Post all reported McCarthy as the likely leading contender to replace Boehner, who has been speaker since 2011. In a prepared statement McCarthy praised Boehner for his service and acting as “a true statesman” to move the country forward. “Now is the time for our conference to focus on healing and unifying to face the challenges ahead and always do what is best for the American people,” McCarthy said in the statement. Media reports stated that Boehner stepped down as speaker under pressure from hard-right conservatives in the Republican Party who undermined his ability to lead. McCarthy was elected to the majority leader position in June of last year. He replaced Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor who was defeated for re-election to the House in that month’s primary. McCarthy was first elected to the House in 2006, and became majority whip in 2011. His district includes parts of Lancaster, the communities of Rosamond, Mojave and Tehachapi, and Edwards Air Force Base.

Mark Madler
Mark Madler
Mark R. Madler covers aviation & aerospace, manufacturing, technology, automotive & transportation, media & entertainment and the Antelope Valley. He joined the company in February 2006. Madler previously worked as a reporter for the Burbank Leader. Before that, he was a reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago and several daily newspapers in the suburban Chicago area. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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