House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has abruptly pulled out of the race for Speaker of the House on the same day that he was widely expected to be nominated for the position.

The nominating contest in the GOP conference set for Thursday afternoon in the House has been postponed.

It was not clear why McCarthy, who was viewed as the likely successor to outgoing speaker John Boehner, unexpectedly exited the contest.

Related: One of McCarthy’s Rivals Just Got a Key Endorsement

McCarthy came under fire from fellow conservatives and democrats alike for suggesting the Benghazi Select Committee was setup in order to harm Hillary Clinton’s political prospects for the Presidency. Despite later apologizing, McCarthy could not overcome the backlash.