California Gov. Newsom to hold special election to replace former House Speaker McCarthy in March

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Kevin McCarthy joins Brian Kilmeade for final interview as member of Congress

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy joins 'One Nation with Brian Kilmeade' for his final interview as a sitting member of Congress.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday set a mid-March special election date to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

In a statement, Newsom set the March 19 primary date for the 20th Congressional District contest. If no candidate wins a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters would advance to a May 21 matchup to fill the seat.

The solidly Republican district is anchored in Bakersfield, which cuts through parts of several counties in the state's interior farm belt. The seat is expected to stay in GOP hands.

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McCarthy announced in early December that he would step down, two months after his historic ouster as House speaker. The announcement capped a stunning end to a House career for the onetime deli counter owner, who ascended through state and national politics to become second in line to the presidency, until a cluster of hard-right conservatives engineered his removal in October.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy takes a pause during a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 29, 2023. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that a special election to fill the House seat vacated by former Speaker McCarthy will take place on March 19. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

McCarthy is the only speaker in history to be voted out of the job.

Newsom scheduled the election two weeks after the state's March 5 presidential primary, which will give candidates additional time to campaign for the vacant seat and reduce the chance for voter confusion with the primary election for the presidential race and other 2024 contests, including state legislative seats.

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The term for the seat vacated by McCarthy runs through January 2025.

McCarthy's departure set off a scramble to replace him that is being sorted out in court. A state judge earlier ruled that a McCarthy protégé, Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong, could appear on the ballot as a candidate for the former speaker's seat, even though he earlier filed for reelection for his Assembly seat. That decision is being appealed by the state.