GOP Enters 2023 Divided From Within

As Republicans prepare to take control of the House next week and begin eyeing opportunities to retake the White House in 2024, the party may first have to deal with growing intraparty divisions that could dampen its momentum.

GOP lawmakers entered 2022 with a sense of unity and a common goal: to retake both chambers of Congress by using President Joe Biden’s unpopularity against him. However, as the midterm cycle dragged on, the party faced a series of challenges that led to a disappointing performance after Republicans failed to recapture the Senate and only gained a slight majority in the House.

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Now, Republicans are entering the new year with a seemingly fractured message as lawmakers are split on myriad issues, ranging from who to select as House speaker to who should be their 2024 presidential nominee.

Here’s a breakdown of the areas in which Republicans are entering 2023 divided from within:

McCarthy faces growing opposition in bid for House speaker

As Republicans take the House majority on Tuesday, lawmakers will first be tasked with electing their new House speaker. But that may be easier said than done.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has long positioned himself as the heir to take the speaker’s gavel in 2023, even going as far as to release the “Commitment to America” platform during the midterm cycle that he pledged to implement once he became the House leader. However, McCarthy has since faced growing opposition from within the party as some House Republicans have posed direct challenges to his nomination, with others quietly considering other contenders.

At least five GOP lawmakers have publicly said they won’t back his

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