“Andy Biggs is going to run,” said Rep. Bob Goode of Virginia. “He will announce tomorrow.” Good, like Biggs, is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which has been divided over whether McCarthy deserves their support. Good said he would support Biggs’ candidacy. Biggs “plans to challenge McCarthy tomorrow,” a House Republican aide confirmed. Schumer Reacts to Retaining Control of Senate: ‘Victory and Justice’ for Democrats and America A Freedom Caucus aide said internal communications within the caucus repeatedly said Biggs would be the nominee. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks at a South Carolina GOP fundraising dinner on July 29, 2022, in Columbia, SC (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File) McCarthy is widely expected to win the Republican nomination for speaker when the GOP caucus votes on Tuesday. But Biggs’ challenge could suggest McCarthy won’t have enough GOP votes in January with the full House voting for speaker, even if Republicans take the chamber. It is not yet certain which party will take control of the House, as the races continue. Most analysts believe Republicans are likely to take control, though Democrats still have a slim chance of retaining it. But if Republicans win, they will pick up only a handful of seats, far fewer than the dozens some had predicted. FOX NEWS 2022 ELECTION RESULTS With a slim majority, McCarthy will need almost his entire team to back him in January. Only a few defections could deprive him of the House majority he needs to be elected. MESA, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 09: US Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) speaks at a campaign rally attended by former US President Donald Trump at Legacy Sports USA on October 09, 2022 in Mesa, Arizona. ](Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Coming from a forum of GOP leadership candidates on Capitol Hill, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York said she was confident McCarthy would be speaker. “McCarthy got a standing ovation every time he spoke in there,” he told Fox News. “I’m confident that Kevin McCarthy will be elected president.” Stefanik and other GOP leadership races will also be decided Tuesday when the caucus meets at 1:00 p.m. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Stefanik has been endorsed by Donald Trump in her race to retain her position as conference chair. Her challenger, Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, was less confident about McCarthy’s prospects, suggesting that questions about McCarthy’s leadership were legitimate. “I mean, look, we’re a results-oriented business, Jimmy, and we don’t have good results,” he said Monday on the Fox Across America radio show with Jimmy Failla. “And so members have a lot of questions, they’re right to have those questions, and we’ll see how that goes over the next couple of days.” Kelly Phares of Fox News contributed to this piece. Haris Alic is a political reporter for Fox News Digital covering Congress.
