Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA 4th District), the Vice Chair of the House GOP Conference, has been chosen as the GOP Speaker nominee. This decision followed a closed-door meeting among House Republicans, during which Johnson emerged as the consensus candidate.
The race for the House Speaker position within the Republican Party took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when RINO Tom Emmer (MN) abruptly withdrew his candidacy. This move occurred shortly after President Trump posted a scathing criticism of Emmer on Truth Social. Emmer’s withdrawal paved the way for a new wave of GOP lawmakers to enter the race.
Emmer’s withdrawal led to a series of ballots with eight different candidates.
The options eventually boiled down to Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), with McCarthy reportedly rejoining the competition in a last-minute attempt to secure the Speaker’s position. Ultimately, Donalds decided to endorse Johnson, as confirmed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), clearing the path for the Louisiana congressman to be designated as Speaker just before 10 p.m.
Congratulations Speaker-designate @RepMikeJohnson!
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) October 25, 2023
Politico’s Olivia Beavers reported that GOP members enthusiastically chanted “Mike! Mike! Mike!” and welcomed reporters into the room to show their unified support for Johnson, with one lawmaker saying, “This group is ready to govern.”
Reporters invited in as Johnson says they are turning new leaf: “This group is ready to govern” pic.twitter.com/5VrdqzchVB
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 25, 2023
Watch:
It’s go time! @RepMikeJohnson pic.twitter.com/MwaSy3y4tR
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) October 25, 2023
Let’s explore Rep. Mike Johnson’s background and voting history:
- He has consistently opposed Ukraine aid, with the exception of the initial aid bill.
- He is a staunch pro-life advocate.
- He supported President Trump’s 2017 executive order, which restricted immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
- He is policy-drivn and consistently votes with his GOP colleagues, prioritizing policy-driven decisions.
- With seven years of experience, he is now serving his fourth term in Congress.
- He is a loyal Trump ally. He stood by Trump, serving as a member of his legal defense team during both impeachment hearings.
- He is a constitutional attorney.
- He is a devoted family man, married with four children.
- His Christian faith holds a central place in his life, often leading prayers on Capitol Hill.
- He is decidedly conservative on social issues. In 2022, he introduced the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, which prohibit all federally-funded institutions from using funds to instruct children on “sexually-orientated” materials.
- Representative Jim Jordan is his mentor, and he voted Jordan for Speaker.
- He voted against certifying the rigged and stolen 2020 Presidential election.
- He is actively involved in the investigation into Joe Biden, and is determined to seek justice for his crimes.
Meet Mike Johnson – the fourth Speaker Designate for the House, receiving 127 votes from the GOP conference.
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) October 25, 2023
Mike has a Liberty Score of 74%.
He’s from the state of Louisiana and has served in Congress since 2017.
His voting record is mostly solid.
He was instrumental in… pic.twitter.com/MVg0MSjMtf
Johnson announced that a floor vote would be slated for Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET to make it official, emphasizing that the GOP conference stands united.
