<p>House Republicans nominated Minority Leader&nbsp;<a class="person-popover__link" href="https://thehill.com/people/kevin-mccarthy/" _mce_href="https://thehill.com/people/kevin-mccarthy/">Kevin McCarthy&nbsp;</a>(R-Calif.) to be Speaker in a closed-door conference meeting on Tuesday after he faced a last-minute protest challenge from Rep.&nbsp;<a class="person-popover__link" href="https://thehill.com/people/andy-biggs/" _mce_href="https://thehill.com/people/andy-biggs/">Andy Biggs&nbsp;</a>(R-Ariz.), a former chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.</p> <p>McCarthy won easily,&nbsp;188 to 31,&nbsp;in the internal conference meeting. But in the eyes of Biggs and his supporters, the goal was merely to demonstrate that McCarthy lacks the support to seize the gavel when the full House meets to choose the Speaker early next year.</p> <p>The&nbsp;31&nbsp;votes opposing McCarthy easily met that threshold, raising immediate questions about how McCarthy — who had failed to ascend to Speaker in 2015 — will make up the difference between now and then.&nbsp;</p> <p>The secret-ballot House GOP Conference vote is just the first step for McCarthy to take hold of the gavel. He must win a majority in a public vote on the House floor – at least 218 votes, assuming a fully sworn-in House – on the first day of the next Congress on Jan. 3.<strong></strong></p> <p>Tuesday’s vote comes as the final breakdown of House control remains unknown, with 14 House races undecided and election projections putting Republicans just one vote shy of securing the majority. The exact size of the slimmer-than-expected majority will have major implications for the rest of McCarthy’s path to the gavel.</p>