What to Know About the Lawmaker in Charge of the House Right Now

Rep. Patrick McHenry was furious after his ally, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, was ousted as speaker at the hands of a small group of hardliners. Now, as temporary speaker, the North Carolina Republican finds himself in the critical position of guiding the chamber in choosing McCarthy’s replacement.

McHenry will be responsible for ushering the House through votes next week to decide the next speaker — and given the razor-thin Republican majority, it won’t be an easy job. Under House rules, McHenry will be the speaker pro tempore until a permanent replacement is elected.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is serving as interim speaker

Photographer: Nathan Howard/Bloomberg

It took McCarthy 15 ballots to win ...