Kevin McCarthy resigning from Congress after being ousted as House speaker

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from his role by a faction of his own party earlier this year, will resign from Congress at the end of the month, he said on Wednesday.

“I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways,” McCarthy wrote in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal. “I know my work is only getting started.”

The announcement caps off McCarthy’s fall from GOP leadership after rising to the speakership in a historic 15-round vote earlier this year. Speculation over McCarthy’s future spiked after a band of eight Republican backbenchers engineered his ouster less than two months ago over personal and policy disputes. After his defeat, he sent conflicting messages over whether or not he would seek reelection, serve out the rest of his term or leave the House early.

McCarthy insisted Wednesday that he’ll remain involved, helping recruit and fundraise for House Republican candidates — exercising one of his greatest strengths as a House leader.

“I will 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 wrote in The Journal.

Still, his departure will again diminish the power of one of his party’s strongest fundraisers.

“Kevin McCarthy’s contributions to our country and to growing the House Republican majority are unparalleled. A razor-sharp political mind, Kevin personally raised hundreds of millions of dollars and recruited hundreds of diverse candidates that led us from deep in the minority to the majority. This devotion to building our party is born from a strong love of country and a heart for service that motivates Kevin at his core,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who chairs House Republicans’ campaign arm.

More immediately, his departure from Congress will shrink Republicans’ already slim margin, which shrank after former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., was expelled from the House last week over serial fabrications and criminal indictments. Speaker Mike Johnson will only be able to lose three GOP votes on each measure before falling below a simple majority.

McCarthy’s announcement before California’s Dec. 8 campaign filing deadline is likely to open the floodgates for candidates to run for his ruby red congressional district.

McCarthy is the third lawmaker who will resign from the 118th Congress rather than serve out the full two-year term. He joins Democrat Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Republican Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah, who both resigned earlier this year.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.