Oct. 25 (UPI) — Republicans have elected Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson as the new speaker of the House.
Johnson received 220 votes with all Republicans who were present voting for him. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., received 209 votes with three members of his caucus absent.
Johnson needed 217 votes to capture the gavel and end the three-week vacancy.
The House convened at noon EDT, and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik soon nominated Johnson. He was the Republicans’ fourth choice for speaker since the role was vacated more than three weeks ago.
Johnson received 128 votes when the conference met behind closed doors late Tuesday. He was nominated in the room by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. About 20 members were absent for the vote, according to CNN. If all 221 Republicans vote, Johnson can afford to lose just four of their votes.
When nominating Jeffries, Rep. Pete Aguilar of California noted that Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., had “more of a smile” on his face than in previous meetings. Democrats again opposed the speaker-select, remarking that he opposed the certification of ballots in the 2020 presidential election.
The Louisiana representative played an instrumental role in the attempt by House Republicans to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Former Sen. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, called him “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections.”
Johnson led more than 100 Republican lawmakers in an amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit that sought to challenge the results of the election in states won by President Joe Biden. The brief cited concern about “unconstitutional irregularities involved in the 2020 presidential election.”
Johnson serves as the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. Former President Donald Trump applauded his selection as speaker-designate, though he stopped short of giving an official endorsement.
“My strong suggestion is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, and get it done fast,” Trump posted on social media early Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, Trump took credit for “killing” previous speaker-designate Mike Emmer’s bid. Emmer’s nomination never made it to the House floor after it became apparent he would not reach the 217-vote threshold.
The Louisiana representative played an instrumental role in the attempt by House Republicans to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Former Sen. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, called him “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections.”
Johnson led more than 100 Republican lawmakers in an amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit that sought to challenge the results of the election in states won by President Joe Biden. The brief cited concern about “unconstitutional irregularities involved in the 2020 presidential election.”
Johnson serves as the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. Former President Donald Trump applauded his selection as speaker-designate, though he stopped short of giving an official endorsement.
“My strong suggestion is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, and get it done fast,” Trump posted on social media early Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, Trump took credit for “killing” previous speaker-designate Mike Emmer’s bid. Emmer’s nomination never made it to the House floor after it became apparent he would not reach the 217-vote threshold.
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was the first candidate chosen following the removal of California Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Scalise never brought a vote to the House floor either. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was then selected and went through three floor votes before stepping aside.
