After 15 rounds and four days of wrestling and wrangling, Congressman Kevin McCarthy was voted in as Speaker of the House of Representatives. The last time the process required multiple ballots was in 1855. In 2023, the proceedings were relatively tame compared to then. In that pre-Civil-War environment, it took 133 rounds and two months to pick a Speaker. The Speaker is second in line after the Vice President to become President in case of a need for succession. Interestingly, after the Speaker, the law of succession is as follows: President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and Secretary of Defense. Secretary of Transportation is way down on the list.