McCarthy takes key GOP post
WASHINGTON — Not so long ago Kevin McCarthy was working as an aide to his local congressman in Bakersfield, Calif. Now the 49-year-old is a new face of the GOP, selected by House Republicans as their majority leader after a whirlwind round of politicking prompted by last week’s primary election upset of Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia.
McCarthy’s lightning-fast ascent to the No. 2 House job in just his fourth term is a testament to his political skills and talent for forming and maintaining relationships. Now he has the daunting challenge of working to unite a fractious House Republican caucus that’s still in upheaval after Cantor’s loss.
McCarthy has served as majority whip, the No. 3 job, and will be replaced in that post by Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the chairman of a caucus of conservatives in the House. Scalise adds a Southern, red state voice to a GOP leadership team otherwise populated by establishment-aligned Republicans from the West Coast and Midwest.
