Kaptur Nearly Switched Vote for McCarthy in 2023 Speaker Fight

Rep. Marcy Kaptur nearly crossed party lines to vote for Kevin McCarthy during the 2023 speaker election, according to a new book by McCarthy aide John Leganski. After the 14th ballot, Kaptur walked to the Republican side and spoke with Rep.

Mike Turner. ” Turner replied that she could end the stalemate by changing her vote with him at the well. Minority Whip Katherine Clark intercepted the conversation and persuaded Kaptur to remain with Democrats.

Kaptur returned to her side of the chamber. The episode occurred on January 6, 2023, during the fourth day of voting. The last crossover vote for speaker took place in 2001, when Rep. James Traficant voted for Rep.

Dennis Hastert. Kaptur represents one of the most Republican-leaning districts held by a Democrat. Her office did not respond to a request for comment. The book, Glory, Grief, and the Gavel: An Inside Guide to Running for Speaker of the House, is scheduled for release on June 23.

Leganski writes that McCarthy’s team believed a deal with conservative holdouts was close the day before the first ballot. That changed when Rep. Matt Gaetz arrived at a meeting and demanded committee assignments and subcommittee chairmanships for the holdouts.

Gaetz also warned that he and his allies might elect Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as speaker if McCarthy sought a plurality rule. Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers told the conference that holdouts who refused to back McCarthy would receive no committee assignments. Gaetz voted present on the 14th ballot.

Later that night he and the remaining holdouts switched to present, giving McCarthy 216 votes and the majority needed. Nine months later, Gaetz and seven other Republicans joined all Democrats in voting to remove McCarthy as speaker.