Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaving Congress at end of year: 'Leaving the House but not the fight'

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will leave Congress at the end of this year, he announced on Wednesday.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, McCarthy made his position known after months of speculation about what his future would hold.

“It is in this spirit that I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started,” McCarthy wrote in the op-ed.

The announcement of his imminent departure comes after McCarthy was ousted as speaker in early October after eight Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), voted with all Democrats to remove him from the position.