Shocking Upset: McCarthy's Speakership Cut Short, Making History

Speaker Kevin McCarthy's tenure as leader came to an abrupt end when he was removed from his position, making his speakership the shortest in over 140 years. The US House of Representatives made a significant decision on Tuesday by voting to oust McCarthy as speaker. As a result, the House will need to select a new speaker. However, a viable alternative candidate who would garner the necessary support to be victorious is currently unclear. McCarthy announced on Tuesday evening that he will not be seeking the speakership again.

The speakerships of only two congressmen, Michael Kerr and Theodore Pomeroy, lasted fewer days than McCarthy's. Kerr passed away in office in 1876, while Pomeroy served for just the last day of the 40th Congress in 1869. On the other hand, Nancy Pelosi and Paul Ryan, the two most recent House speakers, served for significantly longer periods of time, with Pelosi serving for 2918 days and Ryan serving for 1162 days. It is customary for House members to vote for a speaker on the first day of each new Congress. In the past, seven former members of Congress have served single speakership terms that were shorter than McCarthy's, either due to resignation or death in office. However, these speakers served during periods when their party held leadership positions in other Congresses, resulting in longer cumulative speakerships.

Since 1876, every House speaker has served for at least a year in total.

The average duration of House speakerships has increased since the establishment of the modern two-party political system in the 1800s. Since 2001, a House speaker has held power for approximately 638 days, in contrast to the 459-day average during the 19th Century.

However, as the leader of the 118th Congress, McCarthy faced unique challenges. His Republican majority of only four seats was one of the smallest in history, which made him susceptible to pressure from conservative members of his party. In order to secure the position of speaker, he had to make concessions that have now backfired, such as allowing a single member to trigger a vote to remove the speaker with a simple majority.

Currently, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, who frequently criticizes McCarthy, has successfully initiated a vote to remove him from his position. This vote follows McCarthy's collaboration with Democrats to pass a short-term funding bill and avoid a government shutdown, and it signals another upcoming battle for the position of speaker.