GOP Rep Bishop vows to resign if McCarthy becomes speaker

North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop, one of the 20 Republicans opposed to Rep. Kevin McCarthy's bid for House speaker, said he would step down from Congress if the California congressman wins the position. 

"We’re going to either see improvement up here the same way we made remarkable improvements in North Carolina in the state legislature, or I’m out," Bishop told Roll Call in an interview published Thursday morning.

Bishop has since denied vowing to resign and highlighted articles making such claims as being inaccurate.

"This story is incorrect. I said nothing of the kind — I will serve my term with all the force and vigor in me," he tweeted.

Bishop served in the North Carolina state legislature from 2015 until winning a special election in 2019. He said he is willing to threaten his resignation because he is "older than the average bear" and "not going to stay up here for decades."

The 58-year-old Bishop, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, also argued that under his leadership matters have "gotten worse, not better."

McCarthy lost six rounds of balloting for speaker on Wednesday. Voting is expected to continue on Thursday.