KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Kalamazoo will get to see its first presidential candidate on Monday, but may have already hosted the next Speaker of the House.
The man who may be next in line to take over the job, Kevin McCarthy, the chamber’s majority leader, was in Kalamazoo in May, speaking at the Kalamazoo County GOP’s Lincoln Day dinner and was introduced by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton.
The 50-year-old from Bakersfield, Calif., told the crowd his political ambitions began early, when he applied to intern with the local congressman.
“And he turned me down,” McCarthy said. “So, do you know what the story is? I now seat in the seat that couldn’t get an internship for.”
He takes over a rarely agreeable, deeply-divided congressional caucus.
– John McNeill