After 22 days of political maneuvering and unforeseen twists, the U.S. House of Representatives has officially elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as its Speaker, bringing an end to one of the most unpredictable and turbulent races for the role in American history.
During the roll call, it was noted that 429 members were present to cast their votes: 220 were Republicans, with one member absent, while 209 were Democrats, with three absentees. Johnson garnered the required 220 out of 215 votes to claim the coveted Speaker’s role.
Former GOP nominees Jim Jordan, Tom Emmer, Steve Scalise, and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy all voted in favor of Mike Johnson as House Speaker.
Shortly before the crucial vote, Johnson used the social media platform X (Twitter) to convey a powerful, patriotic message. He shared an image of the American flag, captioned with: “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
— Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) October 25, 2023
On Tuesday night, Johnson emerged as the sole GOP candidate for House Speaker, securing the nomination from his party after multiple rounds of voting. Throughout the evening, Johnson maintained a consistent lead in the polls, with Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) emerging as his closest rival.
Following his being chosen as the Republican nominee for Speaker of the House, Congressman Mike Johnson extended an invitation to his fellow GOP conference members to bow their heads and join him in a moment of prayer, symbolizing unity.
Last night after being elected candidate for Speaker, Congressman Mike Johnson asked the Republican conference to bow their heads and join him in prayer.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 25, 2023
We need more leaders like this in DC 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/Ja05Bbj6IS
On the House floor, prominent GOP members who had sought the position received standing ovations when they cast their votes for Johnson.
Tom Emmer received a standing ovation after he voted for Mike Johnson. pic.twitter.com/MjWDQx4s2W
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 25, 2023
Similar to McCarthy’s ascent, Johnson’s path to the Speaker’s position was not without its challenges. The events leading up to his nomination were marked by a whirlwind of political maneuvering. The most recent nominee, Tom Emmer (R-MN), abruptly dropped out of the race shortly after securing the GOP nomination, following scathing criticisms from President Trump. The Emmer episode followed an unsuccessful bid by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who failed to secure the support of as many as 25 establishment Republicans in his voting bloc.
Initially, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) was nominated, but he withdrew his candidacy upon realizing that he did not have the necessary votes to secure the position.
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.
