LOS ANGELES (AP) — Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California says he’s resigning from his congressional seat two months after his historic ouster as House speaker. McCarthy announced in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday he’ll step down at the end of the year, saying he’ll “serve America in new ways.” McCarthy made history in October when a contingent of hard-right conservatives made him the only speaker to be voted out of the job. It was a stunning fall for a one-time deli counter owner from Bakersfield who ascended through state and national politics to become second in line to the presidency. McCarthy served in the post less than nine months before a rogue faction of eight Republicans engineered his removal. (Photo: AP)