Share
When a handful of uber-right Republicans forced Speaker Kevin McCarthy out, they may have doomed GOP chances of retaining marginal seats in California and thus control of the House.
Dan Walters
CalMatters
Opinion
McCarthy, whose district is centered in Bakersfield, made winning seats in his native state a high priority, recruiting candidates and supplying them with whatever money they needed. It paid off last year when Republicans won back four of the seven California districts they had lost during the 2020 presidential election and, by some analyses, provided McCarthy with the narrow margin he needed to become speaker.
The current count is 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats with two vacancies, so it wouldn’t take much for the latter to regain the majority they had held for many years prior to 2022.
The GOP victory forced long-serving Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco to cede the gavel to McCarthy, her arch-rival from 250 miles to the southeast. However its narrowness compelled McCarthy to make concessions to the right-wing to be elected speaker after the election – procedural changes that ultimately led to his ouster.
About the Author
Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He began his professional career in 1960, at age 16, at the Humboldt Times. CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.
Make Your Voice Heard
GV Wire encourages vigorous debate from people and organizations on local, state, and national issues. Submit your op-ed to rreed@gvwire.com for consideration.
RELATED TOPICS:
Man Found Dead in Bass Lake, Cause Under Investigation
17 hours ago
Israel Had the Courage to Do What Needed to Be Done
3 hours ago
Vacant Fresno Restaurant Heavily Damaged in Early Morning Fire
15 hours ago
Visalia Police Make Arrest in Deadly Hit-and-Run
16 hours ago
Fresno Shooting Leaves Man Dead Near Griffith and Hughes
17 hours ago
Iran and Israel Say a New Wave of Iranian Missile Attacks Has Begun. Explosions Heard Over Jerusalem
17 hours ago
Man Found Dead in Bass Lake, Cause Under Investigation
17 hours ago
Israel Had the Courage to Do What Needed to Be Done
3 hours ago
Vacant Fresno Restaurant Heavily Damaged in Early Morning Fire
15 hours ago
Visalia Police Make Arrest in Deadly Hit-and-Run
16 hours ago
Fresno Shooting Leaves Man Dead Near Griffith and Hughes
17 hours ago
Iran and Israel Say a New Wave of Iranian Missile Attacks Has Begun. Explosions Heard Over Jerusalem
17 hours ago
Man Found Dead in Bass Lake, Cause Under Investigation
17 hours ago
The Best Songs of 2025, So Far
1 hour ago
Categories

The Best Songs of 2025, So Far

Does Merced County Need an Independent Commission to Draw Board of Supervisors Districts?

Israel Had the Courage to Do What Needed to Be Done

Vacant Fresno Restaurant Heavily Damaged in Early Morning Fire
