On Tuesday, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy will need to secure the backing required to succeed John Boehner as speaker in a vote that might devolve into a disorderly and contentious once-in-a-century floor struggle.

Also Read| List of Republicans blocking vote for Kevin McCarthy’s House Speaker bid

When the 118th Congress convenes to elect a new speaker, McCarthy does not yet have the support necessary to take the gavel, which poses a serious issue for the California Republican and could jeopardise the future House GOP majority. The speaker election may require more than one ballot if McCarthy is unable to secure the support he needs to prevail in the first round of voting, which hasn’t happened since 1923.

Kevin McCarthy married Judy Wages McCarthy in 1992.

Also Read| January 6 committee shutting down after 18-month investigation

Who is Judy Wages McCarthy?

Judy McCarthy grew up in Bakersfield, California.

She is described as a woman who “always keeps her focus on her convictions of faith, family, and friends,” according to Bakersfield.com.

“Judy is the ultimate ‘there you are’ person, always looking for a way to support the people around her, and treats everyone with respect,” said Sally Thornberry, a close friend of hers, as per The Sun.

Kevin and Judy met in high school and fell in love at a young age.

“I liked one of his friends, but Kevin’s personality wins you over, and he doesn’t give up,” she joked.

The couple married in 1992 and still live in their first home together. Judy was a trustee at Ford’s Theatre, the site of President Abraham Lincoln‘s assassination, in 2014.

Also Read| Who was Aaron Lamont Swan Jr.? Brackenridge Police Chief murder suspect reportedly shot and killed

During that time, she also worked full-time for the California Republican Party, where she raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in fundraisers.

Kevin and Judy are parents to two children. They have a son named Connor and a daughter named Meghan.

Connor attended Georgetown University and married Emily Norris in the month of December 2020.