House Republicans on Thursday elected Kevin McCarthy as majority leader, succeeding Eric Cantor, who is relinquishing the job after losing his primary election in an upset. The California Republican defeated Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador for the No. 2 position, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the chamber and deciding which bills come to the floor for a vote. Labrador argued for a fresh conservative voice in the GOP leadership in challenging McCarthy, who was the favorite. With the win, McCarthy moves up a notch in the leadership hierarchy from whip, where he was responsible for counting votes and enforcing party discipline. Republicans then chose Louisiana's Steve Scalise, a red-state conservative, to succeed him.
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House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy moves up a notch in leadership ranks
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California Republican defeated Labrador for the No. 2 job
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Few expect McCarthy's rise to significantly change how Republicans run the House
Supporters say Republican proposals will come largely from committees and McCarthy's mainly will focus on using his political skills to help shape the GOP message and strategy to push its agenda, and help coordinate with @placeholder, who are in the minority.
Before last week's stunning upset of @placeholder many considered McCarthy as potentially the most vulnerable member of the House Republican leadership team.
During his tenure as whip, there were several embarrassing episodes, when high profile bills -- such as the farm bill and @placeholder debt limit plans -- failed to pass.