On October 25, in Washington D.C., Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson achieved a significant victory by being elected as the new Speaker of the House, a role second in line to the presidency. This comes after weeks of unprecedented turmoil within the House Republican ranks that had effectively paralyzed Congress.
The gridlock began when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from his position on October 3, a decision spearheaded by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. This removal marked the start of a frantic search for a new Speaker, as the House cannot operate without one in place. The urgency was compounded by a rapidly approaching government shutdown deadline set for November 17 and vital budget negotiations involving aid packages for Israel and Ukraine.
Initially, the Republicans put forth Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise as a potential replacement for McCarthy. However, Scalise soon realized he didn’t command the necessary support to win the formal election on the House floor. He opted to withdraw from consideration the very next day. In quick succession, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan was nominated but also fell short of securing enough votes to win the position. Last week, after three rounds of voting, Jordan’s aspirations for the speakership were quashed as his colleagues voted to remove him from the ballot.
Subsequently, Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer, currently the House majority whip, was put forward as the third-choice nominee. However, Emmer’s nomination was short-lived; he withdrew only hours later upon realizing he would not garner the necessary 217 votes for the role.
The whirlwind of nominations and withdrawals eventually led to the selection of Mike Johnson on Tuesday evening. Johnson, 51, who had been serving as a deputy whip for the House GOP and is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, was finally able to do what his predecessors couldn’t. He secured a 220-209 vote, finally putting an end to the GOP’s internal squabbles and giving the House a new leader.
Though a four-term congressman, Johnson had maintained a relatively low national profile until this moment. He is known for his ultraconservative religious views. His political stances have often been influenced by these beliefs, leading him to strongly oppose abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. He has also been an outspoken critic of the landmark Supreme Court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.
Additionally, Johnson has not been shy about expressing his alliance with former President Donald Trump. In 2022, he introduced a bill titled the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, drawing parallels to Florida’s controversial Don’t Say Gay bill. Furthermore, he led an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit that sought to overturn the 2020 election results in Trump’s favor in four crucial states, although this lawsuit was eventually dismissed by the Supreme Court. With Johnson now at the helm, Congress can once again focus on pressing matters at hand. The clock is ticking on the upcoming government shutdown, and lawmakers must also decide on funding packages for Israel and Ukraine. The coming weeks will test Johnson’s leadership skills as he navigates these challenges and attempts to bring unity to a recently divided House.