Arizona lawmakers past and present react to McCarthy being removed as House Speaker

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – History happened today in the House of Representatives as eight Republican representatives joined all Democratic representatives in voting to remove Kevin McCarthy from his role as House speaker.

Of those eight Republican representatives who voted to remove McCarthy, two were from Arizona: Representative Andy Biggs (District 5) and Representative Eli Crane (District 2). Three other state Republican representatives of the Freedom Caucus joined Juan Ciscomani (District 6) in voting to keep McCarthy as House speaker: Paul Gosar (District 9), David Schweikert (District 1) and Debbie Lesko (District 8).

“This is something else,” Lesko said. “This place is crazy.” Lesko has seen a lot in her five and a half years at the Capitol, including two impeachments of Donald Trump and 15 rounds of voting to name Kevin McCarthy House Speaker. But today’s vote to remove McCarthy left her in a daze.

“I think it’s a bad move for the Republican party, and it’s a bad move for the country,” she said. “Now we’re kind of at a standstill again until we figure out who the next speaker is going to be.” Lesko says there will be a meeting next Tuesday night for Republican candidates who want to be considered as the next speaker and that the plan is for there to be a vote for new potential House speakers next Wednesday.

But former Arizona Republican representative John Shadegg (1995-2011) says he wouldn’t be surprised if naming McCarthy’s replacement takes a while. “My bet is it’s not going to be quick,” Shadegg said. “They’ve got to try to find an individual who is acceptable by everyone.”

Arizona’s Family contacted Representative Biggs and Representative Crane for interviews, but neither was available. On the social media platform X, Biggs said “Speaker McCarthy has failed to demonstrate himself as an effective leader who will change the status quo and has gone against many of the promises he made in January.” Crane said, “We need to change the ineffective and dishonest way this town works. I’m prepared to support a speaker who agrees.”

Lesko thinks McCarthy did the best he could, given the current political climate. “McCarthy had very few options left,” she said. “And I think quite frankly that some of those eight people purposely set him up so they could take him out.”

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