Kevin McCarthy, one of the highest-ranking members of the Republican Party, has recently given his thoughts on why he was ousted after the 2018 midterms.
McCarthy served as a House Majority Leader from 2014-2019 when the Republican Party unexpectedly lost their majority in the 2018 midterms. The leadership election in February 2019 was a bitter struggle, but McCarthy ultimately failed to win.
McCarthy says that he was “outspent” by the other candidates in the election and that his lack of resources allowed his competitors to paint him in a bad light. He also believes that the party’s stalling on issues such as immigration reform hurt his chances as well.
Further, McCarthy cites the lack of appreciation for the work that he and his team did during his tenure as a major factor in the defeat. He told the media that Republicans “took their foot off the gas during the midterms” and allowed Democrats to gain a foothold in the House of Representatives.
Overall, McCarthy believes that while it is unfortunate that he was removed from the House leadership, there are still numerous issues that he wants to address in the name of the Republican Party. He has been busy holding town halls and regional meetings to spread his message and to garner support for his ideas.
In a recent interview, McCarthy said he is staying optimistic and looking forward to the 2020 elections. He is even considering running for office again in the future. Only time will tell what outcome this will have, but one can assume McCarthy will still be a major voice in the Republican Party going forward.