Kevin McCarthy speaker bid in peril as he fails to lock down support amid first-in-a-century fight

CNN —House Republicans are at a contentious stalemate over who will serve as the next speaker as Kevin McCarthy vows to continue his increasingly imperiled bid for the gavel. The fight, which began on the first day of the 118th Congress, has thrown the new House GOP majority into chaos and undercut the party’s agenda. He also has dispatched several emissaries to help find a deal with his foes and present their demands to the rest of the House GOP conference. But McCarthy cannot afford to lose more GOP votes on the fourth ballot, something his allies fear will sink his bid. The tally for the first ballot in the speaker vote was 203 for McCarthy, with 19 Republicans voting for other candidates.