“We were staring down the barrel of something that had never happened.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Many Americans – and certainly those who keep an eye on politics – will recall the grueling multiday struggle to elect a Speaker of the House at the start of the 118th Congress. But no one remembers it in more detail than former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s Deputy Chief of Staff, John Leganski.

Leganski recently published his inside knowledge of the historic event in his best-selling book, Glory, Grief and the Gavel: An Inside Guide to Running for Speaker of the House. He shared the behind-the-scenes story behind the book yesterday afternoon at a luncheon meeting of The Ripon Society.

“This was the first multi-ballot Speaker’s election in a century, and the longest since the Civil War. This is a book obviously about that race, but it’s really a book about the House. It’s a place I love and where I worked for 10 years.

“You read about all sorts of characters and portraits, such as Tom Cole smoking cigars and drinking bourbon in his hide-away or the Freedom Caucus and what they’re about and their torment of us over that period of time. Boehner, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor – some of these names that really shaped my experience in DC. It’s a tale about the House.

“If you’re a junkie, you’re going to love it. But if you’re just a casual observer or an intern coming to DC, this is the book I would’ve wanted to read when I was coming to town to work in politics. … This is a book that you pick up and you learn from.”

Leganski then read a short passage from the book recounting a conversation Team McCarthy had with former Congressman and Secretary of the House Republican Conference, Vin Weber, whose blunt assessment of their chances stuck with him.

“I actually did ask him, ‘What do you think our odds are for winning this?’ I think he said 60/40, and that was not what I was hoping to hear. I invested 10 years of my life into this operation. We fell short in 2015 – I cover that in the book as well to add to the hero’s journey. At the same time, I couldn’t argue with his reasoning, right? We were staring down the barrel of something that had never happened.”

Leganski also looked across the aisle for guidance.

“I had a conversation with Nancy Pelosi’s Floor Director in December as well and he said, ‘You guys will get there … it just depends on what you got to give.’  I said, ‘And how many ballots it takes.’  And he said, ‘If it goes more than one, you’re done.’ I thought that was instructive. She’s a pretty good whip. She knows they had to negotiate for her job as well in 2018. So that was the confidence I had going into it.”

Leganski closed by discussing lessons from the race that reach well beyond the House floor.

“I think it is applicable beyond just running for Speaker of the House. I had a college professor define politics as anytime three or more people try to sort out competing interests. You have got a coalition to form; you have got to trade. This is applicable to everyone.”

“John Leganski has given us a front-row seat to one of the most consequential moments in recent congressional history,” said Jim Conzelman, Ripon Society President & CEO following the event. “And readers agree — Glory, Grief and the Gavel has already climbed to second on the nonfiction bestseller list and debuted at tenth overall. John spent a decade on the Hill living this story, and it shows on every page. We were honored to have him with us this afternoon to share it firsthand.”

To view Leganski’s remarks to The Ripon Society yesterday, please click the link below:

The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.