Kevin McCarthy Ends Career, Announces Will Retire At the End of The Month

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced on Wednesday he will leave Congress at the end of December in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

McCarthy, who briefly served as speaker before being ousted by one of his own members, served in the House for 16 years — winning his first election in 2006.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will announce a special election to replace McCarthy, whose exit — after the expulsion of George Santos — will further narrow the already slim GOP majority by one more seat until it is filled.

“I’m an optimist. How could I not be? I’m the son of a firefighter. For 17 years I’ve served in the same congressional seat—the same office in which I was once denied an internship. Only in America,” McCarthy wrote in the WSJ, adding:

No matter the odds, or personal cost, we did the right thing. That may seem out of fashion in Washington these days, but delivering results for the American people is still celebrated across the country.

It is in this spirit that I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started.

I will continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office. The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders.