Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) announced Wednesday that he plans to leave Congress by the end of the year.
On Wednesday afternoon, an op-ed by McCarthy featured in the Wall Street Journal revealed that the ousted former speaker will be stepping away from the House to pursue a “passion in a new arena.”
“I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started,” McCarthy wrote.
He noted that he plans to continue “to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office.”
“The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders,” he added.
McCarthy also announced his resignation in a video posted to X.
“Today, I sit here having served as your whip, leader, and as the 55th speaker of the House,” McCarthy stated in the video. “Giving my best to all of you has been my greatest honor.”
McCarthy, who was elected House speaker in January after 15 rounds of voting and was later booted by lawmakers in October, stated that he is “proud of what we have accomplished.”
“We won a House majority twice,” he continued. “We elected more Republican women, veterans, and minorities to Congress than ever before. We reduced the deficit by over $2 trillion while protecting the full faith and credit of our nation.”
“Today, I am driven by the same purpose that I felt when I arrived in Congress,” he added. “But now, it is time to pursue my passion in a new arena. While I’ll be departing the House at the end of this year, I will never, ever give up fighting for this country that I love so much.”
McCarthy concluded his video by thanking his supporters.
In October, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) spearheaded an effort to remove McCarthy from the speakership. For the first time in the country’s history, lawmakers voted to remove the House speaker from office.
Following the decision, McCarthy stated during a press conference, “Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it is necessary. I don’t regret standing up for choosing governing over grievance. It is my responsibility; it is my job.”
At the time, he said he had no plans to run again for the speakership position.
Three weeks after the McCarthy ouster, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected the House speaker with 220 votes.
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