US Speaker election: Kevin McCarthy loses ninth round — this is now the 2nd longest race in 164 years

Under the US Constitution, the speaker does not have to be a member of the House of Representatives — elected or former. It can be any citizen so long as s/he has the support of a simple majority in the 435-member House.

Democractic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York gained the support of all 212 House Democrats in all three rounds — just has he had in every round so far —while the band of hardline Republican rebels stuck to their guns, despite McCarthy offering them further concessions, and gave Byron Donalds of Florida 19 votes in the seventh round, and 17 votes in the eighth and ninth.

One Republican merely voted as "present" in all three rounds, basically abstaining. Three Republicans in total voted for Hern.

This was a clear repudiation of the far-right Republican rebels of the concessions McCarthy reportedly made in a frenzied, desperate attempt.

Theoretically, McCarthy can still win the speakership race if he is able to convince those who don't want to back him to instead vote "present".  Votes cast as "present" are not counted in the final tally, and in such an instance, the candidate with the most votes will be elected Speaker.

After a stinging ninth round defeat for McCarthy, this where the candidates for the US speakership stood.

After the eight round, Kevin McCarthy cut a sorry figure, losing one more vote as compared to earlier rounds.

After the seventh round of ballots, this is how the candidates had fared.