McCarthy says House Republicans need fresh face to unite

U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Thursday that Republicans needed "a new face" to be the next House speaker after he surprisingly dropped out of the running to replace retiring Speaker John Boehner.

"The one thing I found in talking to everybody, if we are going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to help do that," McCarthy, considered favorite for the post, told reporters as he explained his decision.

(Reporting by Timothy Ahmann; editing by Grant McCool)