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McCarthy detractor says others ready to challenge him, as GOP moderates call for party to unite

Republicans supporting House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to become speaker are calling for his detractors to unite behind him, but one of his main critics says others are ready to challenge the California Republican.

House Republicans nominated Mr. McCarthy to be speaker in a closed-door conference meeting Tuesday after he faced a last-minute protest challenge from Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, a former chairman of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus. Mr. McCarthy easily defeated Mr. Biggs, 188 to 31.

But the challenge from the right flank was only to show that the California Republican has failed to attain the necessary 218 votes from the incoming slim GOP majority to win the speaker’s gavel in January.