Glory, Grief, and the Gavel

John Leganski is a political strategist and former senior congressional adviser who served as Deputy Chief of Staff to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. During his time on Capitol Hill, Leganski became the youngest floor director in House history and the first Republican aide to serve on the floor team for each of the top four House leadership offices. His work has been cited by CNN, Politico, Roll Call, The Hill, Punchbowl News, and the Washington Examiner, while his post-Congress insights have appeared in the Wall Street Journal. He is now a partner at Harbinger Strategies, a leading government affairs firm in Washington, DC. A native of suburban Chicago and a graduate of Stanford University, Leganski lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife and daughter.

“John Leganski understands the House of Representatives in a way few others do. In Glory, Grief, and the Gavel, he tells the true story behind what it took to survive one of the most dramatic speakership battles in history. Over more than a decade of working together, Leganski became one of my most trusted advisors, and his perspective is unmatched.” —Kevin McCarthy, former Speaker of the House“The speakership is arguably the toughest job in American politics. John Leganski gives readers a rare inside look at the strategy, personalities, and power struggles that shape the House today. Anyone who wants to understand how Congress really works should read Glory, Grief, and the Gavel.” —Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and New York Times bestselling author“The House is a complex, often misunderstood institution where outcomes are shaped as much by relationships and timing as by ideology. John Leganski captures that reality with clarity and insight. Glory, Grief, and the Gavel offers a compelling, behind-the-scenes look at how leadership decisions are made and how power is actually exercised in Congress.” —Patrick McHenry, former Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee“The best book on the inner workings of the House of Representatives since John Barry’s classic 1989 account of the rise and fall of the late Speaker Jim Wright, The Ambition and the Power. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the contemporary Congress.” —Tom Cole, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee“John Leganski was in every room for every critical meeting during Kevin McCarthy’s speakership, the most fascinating time in the modern history of the House of Representatives. He had a front-row seat to the vote counting, arm twisting, and wrangling that led to the reshaping of the modern-day Congress.” —Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News and New York Times bestselling author“In Glory, Grief, and the Gavel, John Leganski weaves in and out of the tensions that underscore every legislative battle. A masterpiece of Capitol Hill political strategy, this is essential reading for staffers and reporters alike.” —Kadia Goba, politics reporter at The Washington Sun“Leganski takes the reader deep inside one of the most consequential and least-studied contests in American government: the race to be the Speaker of the US House of Representatives. His candor, acumen, and gifted storytelling make this a must-read for scholars, political junkies, and the next generation of congressional staff.” —Thomas J. Wickham Jr., former Parliamentarian of the House