DENVER — Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who represents Colorado’s Third Congressional District, voted against Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to become House speaker Tuesday.
McCarthy’s attempt at securing the speaker position failed in two rounds of voting, a historic defeat with no clear way out.
“He eagerly dismissed us,” Boebert said of McCarthy’s apparent cold shoulder toward a core group of conservatives led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with Donald Trump's MAGA agenda.
Boebert said McCarthy and his allies rejected an offer for rules changes made by the group of right-flank Republicans during a private GOP meeting Monday.
“The deal was rejected,” Boebert told reporters before the vote. “As it stands, I will not be voting for Kevin McCarthy.”
Boebert put her support behind conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who got six votes in the first round and 19 votes in the second round.
McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker should have been an almost sure thing, the Associated Press reported.
The now-former minority leader led his party into the majority, raising millions of campaign dollars and traveling the country to recruit many of the newer lawmakers to run for office.