Acknowledging that he surprised most in Congress by the announcement, Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) says that he is dropping out of the race to succeed retiring House Speaker John Boehner.

Although McCarthy was considered to be the favorite to assume the role of Speaker, he was not without his challengers.  Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) have made recent bids for the position, Chaffetz notifying the public just four days ago on October 4, 2015 of his intention to seek the role.

Although McCarthy has yet to elaborate on his decision, he told reporters today that questions raised about the possibility that political motives were responsible for the nature of the hearings regarding Benghazi and the questioning of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were not "helpful."

There has been no word yet on whom the GOP leadership in the House of Representatives will tap now that their number one candidate has stepped aside.

Temporary Capture WIBX Political Coverage
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Rep. Jason Chaffetz 10082015 Photo Credit: Alex Wong, Getty Images
Rep. Jason Chaffetz 10082015 Photo Credit: Alex Wong, Getty Images
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Rep. Richard Nugent, Rep. Daniel Webster Photo Credit: Win McNamee, Getty Images
Rep. Richard Nugent, Rep. Daniel Webster Photo Credit: Win McNamee, Getty Images
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