Scramble to fill top jobs in House after Boehner exit

WASHINGTON (AP) — A chaotic scramble is on to fill the top GOP jobs in the House following Speaker John Boehner's surprise resignation. Now the same conservatives who pushed him out are maneuvering to yank the next leadership team to the right.

The frenzied action under the Capitol Dome will help determine how Congress contends with upcoming battles on keeping the government running and avoiding a federal default — and whether Republicans can take back the White House next year.

Boehner's announcement Friday shocked nearly everyone, opening a rare chance for ambitious lawmakers to climb the congressional ladder and for competing factions to exert new sway as an anti-establishment fever sweeps GOP politics.

The front-runner for the speaker's job, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, made his candidacy official Monday in a letter to fellow GOP lawmakers in which he pledged to fight for conservative principles and listen to all members — something Boehner was accused of failing to do.

"If elected speaker, I promise you that we will have the courage to lead the fight for our conservative principles and make our case to the American people," McCarthy wrote. "But we will also have the wisdom to listen to our constituents and each other so that we always move forward together."