McCarthy’s approval shifts favorably among GOP voters in wake of speaker election

California Rep. Kevin McCarthy is enjoying a favorable shift in support among both Republican voters following the tumultuous and ultimately successful effort to elect the Trump-backed Republican to the House speakership.

Polling by YouGov reveals that the newly elected Speaker of the House saw a sharp drop in disfavor among Republican voters with a corresponding huge leap in voters who are on the fence about him, with his approval rating remaining largely elevated during the course of the House election fracas. 

Those numbers likely signal an encouraging shift in voter feelings about McCarthy as he begins his speakership in a House bitterly divided along partisan lines and gearing up for the 2024 election season. 

Forty-four percent of Republican voters, meanwhile, believe McCarthy will “be able to serve effectively” in his role as Speaker of the House.