The US House of Representatives remained deadlocked in its attempts to appoint a new Speaker, as Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) lost his 11th bid for the position.
20 Republicans voted for candidates other than McCarthy, as they did four times earlier Thursday. In the latest round, 12 of them voted for Byron Donalds, seven for Kevin Hern, and one, Matt Gaetz, voted for former President Donald Trump, who he officially nominated prior to the vote, according to NBC News. Rep. Victoria Spartz again voted present.
The loss means the speakership race is headed to a 12th ballot - tying it for the fifth-longest speaker selection process, by number of vote rounds, in history. That election took place over 200 years ago, in 1821.
The fourth longest came a year earlier and went to 22 ballots. The longest, in 1855, went to 133 ballots.
Following the 11th ballot, the House voted 219-213 to adjourn for a third day without agreeing on a speaker.
The House held three ballots for the speakership on Tuesday, followed by three more ballots on Wednesday, with McCarthy failing to secure the 218-majority required to win the role in all ballots.
Despite the continued losses, negotiating continued on Thursday, and sources close to the process said they believe the group is close to a “promising” deal and “working on details.”
McCarthy didn’t comment on the potential deal, but throughout the day GOP lawmakers have talked about putting specific demands into writing.