WASHINGTON — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will keep his current job when the new Congress begins in January.

McCarthy was chosen by his House Republican colleagues Tuesday to remain as the chamber’s second-highest ranking leader in the new year.

The California Republican was elected to Congress in 2006 and first picked for House leadership in 2009 at Republican’s chief deputy whip. He has been majority leader since 2014.

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He was widely considered the heir apparent to former House Speaker John A. Boehner until he shocked the political world when he announced he would not run for the position when Boehner stepped down last year.

House Republicans also again nominated current House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., as their choice for speaker of the 115th Congress.

All members get to vote on the next speaker in January.

Democrats had also scheduled their leadership election for this week, but House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., moved it to Nov. 30 amid a possible challenge to her role.

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