Endgame: Three Ways House Speaker Chaos Finally Be Resolved

McCarthy strikes deal with GOP holdouts and wins speakership

In what would be considered the most ideal outcome for McCarthy, the California Republican is vying to win over enough Republican holdouts to push him over the 218-vote threshold to be elected as House speaker.

McCarthy drops bid and Republicans elect another GOP lawmaker

Alternatively, McCarthy could drop his speakership bid altogether and pave the way for Republicans to elect another member of their party to take up the speaker’s gavel.

Parties strike deal on “unity candidate,” electing a centrist Republican

As McCarthy and other far-right members of his party wrestle with accomplishing one of the first two options, other Republicans have quietly been considering making a deal with Democrats to elect a “unity candidate” that can garner the support of both parties.