Members of New York’s sizable GOP freshman class have a message for the next speaker: The party needs to prove it can govern and control members willing to go rogue, in part to hang on to a narrow majority.
Staring down some of the toughest reelection battles in the House, several of the New Yorkers said in interviews that their votes hinge on a speaker candidate making clear they understand the needs of their more moderate, hard-won districts that backed President Joe Biden in 2020. Some are also seeking rules changes and confirmation that Kevin McCarthy’s ousting this week won’t go unpunished.
New York sent the largest group of new GOP House members to Washington in the 2022 midterms, and only one of those seven Republicans had as of press time publicly endorsed a candidate to be the House’s next leader.
