House Republicans have chosen California Rep. Kevin McCarthy as their new majority leader, replacing the departing Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor after his surprising primary loss to David Brat.
McCarthy will become the second-ranked Republican in the House after previously holding the third-ranked position of majority whip. He defeated challenger Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador, a popular conservative member who participated in a failed attempt to oust Ohio Rep. John Boehner as speaker last year. The vote count was not released, either to the public or to the members themselves, but McCarthy was considered a strong favorite going in.
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana won a follow-up vote to replace McCarthy, adding a leader with closer ties to the more conservative wing of the caucus.
RELATED: 5 things to know about Kevin McCarthy
While Cantor’s loss to an underfunded tea party challenger was a shock to the system, McCarthy’s ascension means the majority leader position will remain in the hands of an establishment player instead of one of the more rabble-rousing conservative members. He and Cantor were close legislative allies over the last several years as part of a group of GOP leaders dubbed the “young guns” that also included Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.
Congratulations to my good friend @kevinomccarthy on your election as our next @GOPLeader!
— Eric Cantor (@GOPLeader) June 19, 2014
Cantor’s defeat held particular relevance to the immigration debate. Polls showed voters in his Virginia district were largely supportive of immigration reform, but Brat ran hard against Cantor’s alleged flirtations with “amnesty,” raising the question of whether the issue was growing more dangerous for Republican leaders.









