McCarthy Inching Closer to Deal With Dissidents That Will Make Him Speaker of the House

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (L) talks to Rep.-elect Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) in the House Chamber during the third day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 5, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) lost an 11th straight vote late Thursday in his bid to become the new speaker of the House of Representatives, but his team’s intensive back-room bargaining appeared to be closing in on a deal with many of the populist conservatives who are demanding new leadership in Congress.

As occurred in the 10 previous counts, beginning on Jan. 3, Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York received the votes of all 212 members of his party.