Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio), in a surprise announcement Sept. 25, said he will step down from his post and resign from Congress at the end of October. Boehner, who was elected in 1990 and became speaker in 2010, faced a difficult tenure as he dealt with disagreement within his party and was facing a possible no-confidence vote being brought by conservative Republican members. Announcing his resignation, Boehner said he was proud of what the majority has accomplished over the past five years but that the “first job of any Speaker is to protect this institution that we all love.” He said that his plan was to serve as speaker only until the end of last year, but he stayed to provide continuity to the Republican Conference and the House. “It is my view, however, that prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution,” he concluded. Boehner’s likely successor is House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who announced his candidacy for the position on Sept. 28.