How the House of Representatives elects a speaker

[BidenPresident]

WHO CAN BE NOMINATED?
In the weeks after an election, the Republican conference and the Democratic caucus hold an informal vote among their members to decide who they want to nominate to lead their party in January. McCarthy won the majority of the Republican vote in a closed-door November meeting. Weeks later, Democrats unanimously chose Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to become their leader as the party transitions into the minority.

But, once Jan. 3 comes along, members are not obligated to vote for the party’s chosen candidate. While it has been the tradition for the speaker candidate to be a member of the House, it is not required. In past years, President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and even a senator, Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky, have received votes for House speaker.

To be sure, none of them received the majority of the vote.

https://apnews.com/article/politics...vin-mccarthy-e177c4405ef9b8a7b38641a15855764c

 

[BidenPresident]

McCarthy’s Bid for Speaker Remains in Peril Even After Key Concessions

The recalcitrance among ultraconservative lawmakers, even after Mr. McCarthy made a key concession that would weaken his power in the top post, threatened a tumultuous start to the Republican majority in the House. The standoff underscored Mr. McCarthy’s precarious position within his conference and all but guaranteed that even if he eked out a victory he would be a diminished figure beholden to an empowered right flank.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/02/us/politics/mccarthy-speaker.html

 

[Lionfish]

DJT for speaker

 

[T. A. Gardner]

It's simple and the same for both parties:

A cabal of the party leadership gets together in secret and elects the Speaker. They then hold a sham vote in public to confirm that...