By Gram Slattery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – About 20 hardline Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have voted against California Republican Kevin McCarthy in his bid to become the next Speaker of the House in successive rounds of voting this week.
That has stopped the House from starting their work and exposed the sharp rifts that have developed within the Republican party.
Here are some of McCarthy’s most prominent opponents:
SCOTT PERRY
Perry is the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, the furthest right ideological grouping in the House and the home of almost all McCarthy opponents.
Perry played a key role in former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election via the attempted installation of a new acting attorney general, according to the House committee that investigated the matter.
BYRON DONALDS
Second-term Representative Donalds emerged from relative obscurity this week when he received some 20 votes in multiple rounds of voting in the speakership election.
One of only four Black House Republicans, the hard-right Brooklyn, New York, native and son of a single mother has often spoken of overcoming life adversities on the campaign trail
CHIP ROY
Roy has been negotiating with McCarthy’s team and – unlike some peers – has expressed a willingness to come to an agreement with the California Republican.
He is widely known in Congress for obstructionist procedural motions and dissatisfaction with the current legislative rules. Unlike many of his peers, he was sharply critical of Trump and many of his Republican colleagues over their handling of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
LAUREN BOEBERT
A born-again Christian who represents a sprawling district in western Colorado, Boebert is widely known for her unwavering support of gun rights and confrontational tactics.
From 2013 to 2022, she owned a restaurant in which staff were encouraged to openly carry firearms. She has expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, which holds that there is a secret, pedophilic, leftist elite that holds immense sway over global institutions and policy.
Boebert is one of the top fundraisers among House Republicans and brought in more than $7 million for her reelection bid, to eke out one of the closest wins of the November midterms.
ANDY BIGGS
An Arizona lawyer who once won a $10 million sweepstakes prize before rising to the top of the state senate, Biggs ran against McCarthy in the first round of voting for speaker.
He was among the lawmakers who most aggressively promoted Trump’s false claims that his 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of fraud.
MATT GAETZ
Gaetz, one of McCarthy’s most vocal opponents, is another prominent gun control opponent and a close Trump ally.
The son of a prominent Florida Republican, he has claimed falsely that the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was instigated by far-left extremists. He was also a top fundraiser in the caucus, raising more than $6 million for his reelection bid.
BOB GOOD
A deeply religious social conservative who represents a largely rural district in western Virginia, Good is among the members who have said they would not vote for McCarthy under any circumstance.
Like others who voted against McCarthy, he was a prominent opponent of measures designed to stop the spread of COVID-19.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
