It has been 100 years since American politics was in a similar mess.

The engine room of America’s democratic machine is in a state of limbo, not able to elect its leader Speaker of the House.

Tuesday’s ballot chaos in which multiple votes were cast to select the speaker did not produce a winner will be repeated until one person has a majority.

This is not a reflection of the chaotic nature of democracy. But don’t assume this is just the messy familiarity of democracy.

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What is the background?

In November’s midterm election President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party regained control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but not the Senate.

The Republicans won the majority and control of the House. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House, resigned and was replaced by a Republican. It was assumed that Kevin McCarthy would be the replacement.

The midterm red wave – which was a massive victory for the Republican Party due to perceived weakness by Mr Biden’s Democrats – didn’t materialize. The Democrats won the Senate, despite the conventional wisdom about how a party performing in midterms was not followed by them. They also retained the House.

Why are Republicans struggling to pick a leader?

There are two reasons. The first is that the party has split into several factions, ranging from the far right to the more centrist caucus.

Second, they have a small majority which makes it difficult for Kevin McCarthy to do the math. He needs 218 votes from a total of 222 Republican seats.

Why is it important?

The House cannot begin the work of legislating and governing without a speaker. The House must continue to hold speaker votes until a candidate is elected. Both camps, the OK (Only Kevin), and Never Kevin camps seem equally entrenched.

It took two months and 133 votes to find a speaker in 1856, right before the US Civil War.

Kevin McCarthy: What’s the problem?

McCarthy appeared confident that he would win the votes. However, his fight has become more difficult as the opposition to McCarthy grows. Five fervent ‘never Kevin’ Republicans were initially present. After Tuesday’s vote, however, it grew to 14 then 19, then 20.

A number of Republicans voted in Jim Jordan as their Republican colleague. Mr McCarthy then voted in Jim Jordan and said he didn’t want to be speaker.

Hakeem Jeffries, a Democratic Party representative, received more votes than McCarthy in the first three votes. This is even more absurd and worrying for the Republican Party.

After a day of humiliation, Kevin McCarthy said to reporters that “we may have a fight on the floor.” “But the battle for the conference is for the country, and that’s fine with me.”

A faction of the party, the House Freedom Caucus is leading the opposition to McCarthy. This hard-right group wants changes to the rules of the chamber.

The Never Kevin grouping presented alternative candidates, including Arizonan Andy Biggs who was nominated by Paul Gosar, far-right lawmaker. Jim Jordan was nominated for the second ballot, despite his inability to accept the job.

Does Trump have a factor?

Yes, always. The former president spoke to NBC News overnight and said that he hadn’t made a decision about supporting Mr McCarthy. He seemed to have a more firm view by morning, and told followers of his Truth Social website that he was supporting him.

Trump was blamed for the poor performance of the Republican Party in the midterms, and for seeding divisions within the Republican Party.

A new record-breaking congress?

Yes. The 118th Congress, in many ways, is a record-breaking event.

It has a record number – 149 women, which represents 28% of the legislative body. The diversity of the two chambers has increased with 58 women from different backgrounds serving. The House will have a record number Latina and Black women.

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Also, the chambers are becoming more youthful. Nearly 21% of newcomers are younger that 40, while only 5% of congressmen are below 40. The House now has its first Generation Z member, Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, who is 25.

What’s the agenda after a speaker has been found?

Plenty. Many House Committees will be controlled by the Republicans, which will lead to new investigations that could shake up the political landscape.

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Investigators will investigate the financial transactions of President Biden’s child Hunter, as well as the government’s handling migration at the southern border, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Afghan withdrawal.

Names to Watch: Jim Jordan of Ohio and James Comer from Kentucky are likely to dominate investigations. Mr. Comer will be the House Oversight Committee chair and Mr. Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman.

Watch out for a bipartisan focus on China, beyond domestic politics. A new committee will focus on China’s competition.

“The greatest geopolitical threat to our time is the Chinese Communist Party.” McCarthy made the statement in a recent statement.