Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed three times to win his bid for Speaker of the House. The House reconvened today at noon to continue elections.

The panel

Anthony Michael Kreis, @AnthonyMKreis, professor of constitutional law, Georgia State University

Greg Bluestein, @bluestein, political reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Maya King, @mayaaking, politics reporter, The New York Times

Stephen Fowler, @stphnfwlr, political reporter, GPB News

 

The breakdown

1. Republicans failed to elect a Speaker of the House yesterday.

  • For the first time in 100 years, the presumptive Speaker hasn't won in one ballot. A coalition of Republicans denied Rep. Kevin McCarthy by around 20 votes over three different ballots.
  • Yesterday would have served as a day of celebration for Republicans after they took control of the House with a slim four-seat majority. Instead, House members weren't sworn in and bickering ensued among moderate and far-right conservatives.

LISTEN: Stephen Fowler on gridlock in the House of Representatives.

2. The race to fill former Rep. David Ralston's state House seat has gone to a runoff.

  • The news evokes memories of Georgia's runoff for U.S. Senate. State political figures, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, have spoken out against the process.
  • Georgia's runoffs were shortened by a 2021 election law, passed after the state sent Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate.

 

3. The 2023 legislature could pass a law approving sports betting.

  • Sports betting came to public eye after Stacey Abrams proposed the measure to expand Georgia's HOPE Scholarship. Since then, business leaders and legislators have supported the effort.
  • Opponents say the measure could prey on poorer Georgians. Gov. Brian Kemp opposed the effort in 2018, but it's unclear how he would entertain a 2023 measure.

 

4. Gov. Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones have vowed to rein in violent crime and "far left local prosecutors."

  • A Superior Court judge recently dismissed a case against a former University of Georgia student who allegedly trafficked a 14-year-old Cook County girl to Maryland.
  • The governor cited the case, saying he'd address "far left local prosecutors" in the next legislative session.

Thursday on Political Rewind: AJC editor Kevin Riley joins the panel.

Tags: Georgia  Georgia Politics  Atlanta  Macon  Savannah  speaker of the house  House of Representatives  kevin mccarthy  Marjorie Taylor Greene  Speaker Ralston