Today, Republicans engaged in a full-scale brawl as the party grappled with its failure to win the Senate majority and the likelihood of a narrow edge in the House despite GOP predictions of significant gains in President Biden’s first midterm elections. The fallout from the disappointing performance was evident in the Senate as Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Tuesday announced a challenge to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has led the party since 2007. McConnell dismissed the challenge and insisted he had the votes. In the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was nominated by fellow Republicans to be speaker in the next Congress, surviving a challenge from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) on a 188-to-31 vote. The real test will be in January, when McCarthy must win a majority vote of the full House — 218 votes — which could require offering concessions to disaffected Republicans.
