Kevin McCarthy

Kevin Owen McCarthy, born January 26, 1965, is an American politician who served as the 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from January to October 2023. He was also the U.S. representative for California's 20th congressional district from 2007 until his resignation in 2023. Before being elected to the U.S. House, McCarthy graduated from California State University, Bakersfield and served two terms as a member of the California State Assembly. His political career includes roles such as the House Republican chief deputy whip from 2009 to 2011 and the House majority whip from 2011 to 2014. During his time as Minority Leader, he supported Donald Trump's debunked claims of voter fraud and initially participated in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidental election. He also led the House Republicans through the 2022 elections, in which they gained a narrow majority.

McCarthy was the Republican nominee for speaker in January 2023, but his tenure was marked by a standoff with the Biden administration that led to the 2023 debt-ceiling crisis. His tenure as Speaker was truncated after he was voted out during a largely unprecedented House floor debate on October 3, 2023. He became the first speaker to ever be removed from the role during a legislative session and resigned as a member of the House at the end of that year. McCarthy and his wife, Judy, have two children and are lifelong residents of Bakersfield, California.