Regarding Kevin McCarthy's bid to become Speaker in the 118th House.

- McCarthy overwhelmingly won G.O.P. backing for speaker, but the vote signals he still faces a tough fight.

Representative Kevin McCarthy of California on Tuesday resoundingly won the Republican nomination for speaker, but a challenge from his right flank that drew more than two dozen defectors showed weakness in his hold on his party, indicating a potentially rough fight ahead of him to secure the job at the start of the new Congress.

The vote, which took place as his party was still clawing its way to what appeared likely to be a historically slim majority, was a successful first showing for Mr. McCarthy, the five-term congressman from California, in his quest to win the speaker’s gavel. He only needed to secure support from a majority of his conference — including incumbents, newly elected members and candidates in uncalled races — in a secret-ballot vote held behind closed doors at the Capitol.

In a vote of 188-31, Mr. McCarthy easily defeated a challenge on his right from Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, a former chairman of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus who ran as a protest candidate.

- Kevin McCarthy allies privately push moderate Democrat to switch parties in House speaker bid.

In a sign of the challenges House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy faces to secure enough votes to possibly become the next speaker of the House, his allies have tried to persuade one moderate Democrat to switch parties.

Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar said he received multiple calls from people close to McCarthy, including one current Republican member.

What was the pitch? "Name your price," Cuellar told ABC News.

He said his response was simple: "No, thank you."

- Conservatives warn McCarthy: You don't have the votes for speaker.

Conservative lawmakers sent a strong message to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday, telling him he doesn't have the votes to be the next speaker.

The warning shot came just one day before McCarthy heads into a closed-door election seeking to become his party’s nominee for speaker of the House starting in January.

The California Republican is expected to easily surpass the simple majority needed to win the nomination, but members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are planning to put up a symbolic challenger to make clear that McCarthy can’t reach the magic number needed — 218 votes — in the formal floor vote when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.

“Nobody has 218,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told reporters before conservatives met to discuss rules changes they want from GOP leadership. “And somebody is going to run tomorrow” against McCarthy, he added.

. . . Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who is opposing McCarthy for speaker, said once conservatives demonstrate that McCarthy can't secure 218 votes, a number of other Republicans will be interested in jumping into the race for speaker.

While several leading conservatives, including Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have already endorsed McCarthy, other conservatives are demanding that he agree to a number of proposed rule changes before they get on board with his bid for speaker.

Among the changes they want: Bring back a rule making it easier to force a vote on ousting a speaker. It’s highly unlikely McCarthy would cede that power to the Freedom Caucus, though he could back smaller proposals.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., who has been negotiating with McCarthy, said he spoke to him on Monday and that the “conversation went well.”