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Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed to secure enough votes to be elected as the speaker of the House of Representatives in US in a third round of voting. It was the first time in a century that neither a Republican nor a Democrat won Speaker’s seat. The House adjourned without a speaker, first time since 1923.
The first round of voting saw at least 19 defections from McCarthy’s own party when he could only afford to lose four seats. In the second and third rounds of voting, he failed to secure enough votes from fellow Republicans for securing the Speaker’s post.
McCarthy needs at least 218 votes to formally become speaker of the House, which has 435 members.