The Eight Who Voted Against Speaker McCarthy

Per last Thursday’s Bloomberg News Article, “the eight Republican House members that voted against Speaker McCarthy hail from mostly Sun Belt districts with a distinct demographic profile, areas with exceptionally low unemployment, lots of newcomers, high numbers of homeowners and newer homes.  Circumstances in those areas make their constituents less vulnerable to job losses and particularly sensitive to inflation.”  Per the 2021 Census, those districts tend to have unusually high numbers of veterans and active-duty military.  Rep Gaetz (R-FL), who led the effort to oust McCarthy, represents a Florida Panhandle district that is home to Naval Air Station Pensacola and Eglin Air Force Base, with more veterans than any other district in the country.  It ranks third in the number of residents who have moved in from out of state in the previous year.

Although, members of Congress’s views are not always driven by their constituents’ demographics, the information noted above may provide some perspective into their voting decision.  The seven that voted with Rep. Gaetz (R-FL) are Biggs and Crane of Arizona, Buck of Colorado, Rosendale of Montana, Mace of South Carolina, Burchett of Tennessee, and Good of Virgina.  Finally, Rep. Mace is the most moderate of the group and represents the most competitive district; she said her objections to Speaker McCarthy were about social issues as well as spending.