WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy defeated his Democratic challenger late Tuesday, securing a ninth term in Congress and putting him on track to become Speaker of the House of Representatives if Republicans claim a majority of the chamber’s seats.
McCarthy had 63.3% of the vote in California’s 20th Congressional District when the Associated Press called the race. His challenger, school teacher Marisa Wood, had 36.7%. Less than 31% of the vote had been counted.
Republicans are predicted to gain enough seats to take control of the House in 2023, but not by an overwhelming margin as some analysts had predicted before Tuesday. Still, that’s enough to hand McCarthy the gavel.
