Kevin McCarthy elected US House speaker in rowdy post-midnight vote

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., reacts after being sworn in on the House floor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, early Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Republican Kevin McCarthy has been elected speaker of the House of Representatives at the 15th attempt, overcoming resistance from his own ranks and tensions that boiled over on the floor of the chamber after a chaotic week that tested the party’s ability to govern.

“My father always told me, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” he told cheering fellow Republicans.