Republican Kevin McCarthy elected US House Speaker after election drama.

It was the longest presidential election in 160 years, as the heavily divided Republicans held 15 rounds of voting in four days.

On Saturday, Republican squabbling that had brought the US House of Representatives to a halt for days came to an end when Kevin McCarthy was appointed speaker.

To be elected as Washington's top legislator, the 57-year-old Californian holds the position of second-in-line to the presidency and is in charge of House business.

However, the deeply divided Republicans' 15 rounds of voting over four days to fend off a right-wing, anti-McCarthy rebellion made it the longest speakership election in 160 years.