Rep. Kevin McCarthy has decided not to run for reelection following his unprecedented ouster as House speaker, ending the Bakersfield Republican’s run as a senior GOP figure who raised huge sums of money for the party only to fall afoul of its hard-right flank.
The eight-term congressman made his announcement in The Wall Street Journal exactly two months after he told The Californian he was planning to run for reelection. McCarthy could not be reached for comment Wednesday and did not respond to requests earlier in the week for comment on his political future.
Arriving two days ahead of the deadline for declaring whether he would run for a ninth term, McCarthy’s declaration that he will step down at the end of this year raised the prospect of a special election for someone to finish out his term representing California’s 20th Congressional District.
Democrats have made some progress in chipping away at his political support but never managed to come close to his dominance in the polls, and only recently has a fellow Republican made a credible effort to unseat him.
Republican David Giglio of Clovis had already filed papers to challenge McCarthy in the 20th District. The Madera sports trading card shop owner, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, recently secured an endorsement from Michael Flynn, who briefly served as national security adviser in the Trump administration.
McCarthy, 58, ascended in January to become second in line to the presidency after a political career born of serving as a staff member to former Bakersfield Rep. Bill Thomas. The son of a firefighter and product of local schools, McCarthy was for a time owner of his own sandwich shop.
On Wednesday, statements of gratitude came from fellow Republicans, including his own protege, Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, who in an email statement described McCarthy as someone who served the valley, state and nation “with distinction.”
“Through our decades of friendship, I’ve seen his commitment and his sacrifice — always optimistic and unafraid of the hard work necessary to create more opportunities for all Americans,” Fong wrote. “I am grateful to Kevin for his leadership, mentorship and dedication; and I look forward to seeing his continued service to the people of the Central Valley and our country.”
California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said the 20th District is “better off today” because of McCarthy. She highlighted the congressman’s “commonsense, conservative” agenda, and strengths in “recruitment and fundraising.”
“No one has done more to help Republicans get elected across this country,” Patterson wrote. “And his ceaseless efforts enabled us to pick up two separate GOP House majorities, including five seat pickups here in California.”
It was unclear Wednesday how exactly the process to replace McCarthy will proceed.
When asked whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will hold a special election to find a replacement, administration Communications Director Erin Mellon said the governor is “required to set a date for the special election 14 days after the seat is vacated.”
“However, if the seat is vacated during the last year of the term, after the nomination period has closed, then a special election is not required,” Mellon wrote. “We will have more to share once we have specifics from Rep. McCarthy about his planned departure.”
Christian Romo, who chairs the Kern Democratic Party, said he expects a cascade effect to ripple through Kern, as Assembly members, supervisors, council members and political dilettantes vie for a promotion amid the political shift.
“There’s a lot of people who could throw their name in now, because the gates are open now that McCarthy, being this all-powerful political animal for nearly the past two decades, is leaving,” Romo said.
This could include, he said, Fong and state Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, both running for the seat, as well as former 22nd Congressional District Rep. Connie Conway, also a Republican, entering the special election.
Giglio, a Connecticut native who placed fourth with 14.8% of the vote when he ran in the 2022 primary election for California’s 13th Congressional District, filed his paperwork to run for the seat on Sunday, according to the Federal Election Commission website.
Beyond a track record of historic fundraising, McCarthy has rarely seen a contest for his seat since he first ran in 2007. He routed Wood in 2022 with more than two-thirds of the vote, and with more than $40 million in fundraising, according to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The 20th Congressional District is home to communities in Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.
