House Republicans voted on Thursday in favor of replacing Rep. Eric Cantor with Rep. Kevin McCarthy as majority leader.
Cantor announced he was stepping down from the position earlier this month after losing to upstart David Brat in the primary for Virginia's 7th Congressional District.
The 49-year-old McCarthy will officially become the majority leader just shy of midnight on July 31, the Wall Street Journal reports. McCarthy was able to rise above two other potential replacements due to his more laid-back style and knowledge of negotiations, and likely, his willingness to stay the course when it comes to the Republican agenda.
"When you finally sit down across the table and deal with Democrats, it's a political deal--it's not a policy debate or discussion that one side persuades the other," Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole said. "It's who can put together a compromise. Kevin is very, very good at those sorts of things."
According to The New York Times, McCarthy's selection as majority leader is likely only to frustrate Tea Party members voters who helped vote out Cantor.
Republican leadership seems unwilling to include party members who would like to push the party even further right.