GOP lawmakers are hoping to resolve their leadership battle privately after a long day on the floor. McCarthy and his allies have begun talks with some of the defectors in order to break the detente before the House returns on Wednesday.
One of McCarthy's chief antagonists, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), said they were going to have more discussions tonight. He wouldn't say if McCarthy's 20 dissenters would be meeting on their own, but he did say that the talks would include everyone in the conference.
By the time lawmakers return at noon on Wednesday, it is not clear if McCarthy would still be the one asking for votes.
McCarthy has tried and failed three times to fulfill his dream of being a speaker. Donalds flipped on the third ballot to support Jordan, a sign that he had been supporting him.
McCarthy's allies kept voting until a path emerged for him to seize the gavel, an attempt to grind down his opponents. It was the second time since the Civil War that a party had to try to get a speaker elected.
Many GOP lawmakers saw no path for McCarthy to win without a major shift in dynamics after the third vote. The California Republican could lose more support if he didn't get personal help.
He is not going to be a speaker. After conservatives prevented McCarthy from winning the gavel, Good said that they would never cave.
Jordan tried to cut off McCarthy opponents at their knees, but that didn't work out. In the first round of voting, McCarthy picked up members of the House Freedom Caucus who had previously promised to vote against him.
The House likes to play how long the speaker's fight will last. One of McCarthy's opponents said they could persist for six more months. There are no rules of the chamber yet and the House GOP is at risk of a chaotic floor fight. Without a speaker, the chamber can't swear.
The 20 opposition votes came despite fierce pressure from McCarthy and his wide band of allies that he has built over the years.
The leader of the GOP conference said in a speech that Kevin McCarthy had worked harder for the majority than anyone else.
The revolt against McCarthy happened on the floor in front of all the members. Dozens of lawmakers brought children with them as they sat through the full roll call vote on the Senate floor.
The number of House Republicans who said they would vote against McCarthy increased from the day before.
There were storm clouds over McCarthy. McCarthy and his supporters erupted in anger at the conservative hardliners who were threatening to block his speaker's bid.
In a fiery speech to his conference in the closed-door meeting, McCarthy underscored the extensive concessions he has made to those who have vowed to oppose him. He told them that there are more GOP lawmakers who will vote against him than those who have publicly opposed him.
I worked hard to get this job. McCarthy told the lawmakers in the room that they would win the majority.
The California Republican called out the conservatives at the meeting. The group of detractors were unloaded on by many of McCarthy's supporters. At one point, Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the House armed services committee, pushed the idea that any Republican who opposed McCarthy should lose their committee assignments.
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