This Wednesday marked a historic moment for Louisiana and the Republican Party as Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) emerged victorious in a tumultuous leadership battle, having been elected as the new House Speaker of the 118th United States Congress after twenty-two days of fierce competition between fourteen candidates.
When it came time to cast their votes, 429 members were present with 220 Republicans, one member absent, and 209 Democrats with three absentees.
Johnson achieved the required majority of 220 out of 215 votes needed to become Speaker. Former GOP nominees Jim Jordan, Tom Emmer, Steve Scalise, and former speaker Kevin McCarthy each voted in favor of Johnson’s candidacy.
Just hours before this pivotal vote, he shared a powerful message on social media platform X featuring an image of the American flag accompanied by the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
— Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) October 25, 2023
On Tuesday night, Mike Johnson was confirmed as the Republican Party’s nominee for Speaker of the House after several rounds of votin
Throughout the evening, he maintained a strong lead, with Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) emerging as his closest competitor. Upon his election, Johnson asked his fellow members of the GOP conference to join him in a prayer of 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.
We need more leaders like this in DC ???????? pic.twitter.com/Ja05Bbj6IS
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 25, 2023
“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system. This conference that you see, this House Republican majority, is united,” Rep. Johnson said during a press conference Tuesday night.
“We’re going to serve the people of this country. We’re going to restore their faith in this Congress, this institution of government… We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here. You’re going to see a new form of government and we are going to move this quickly. This group here is ready to govern. We’re going to govern well. We’re going to do what’s right by the people and I believe the people are going to reward that next year. But we have a lot of big priorities ahead of us right now. The world is on fire,” he added.
The path to Johnson’s election as House Speaker was not without its obstacles. The Republican Party experienced a tumultuous battle for the speakership, resulting in several prominent candidates withdrawing their candidacies.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) initially sought the position but withdrew when it became clear that he lacked the necessary support. Similarly, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) both dropped out after failing to garner sufficient votes on the House floor.
This leadership vacuum was created following Kevin McCarthy stepping down, which led to a new race for the position; however, this process faced numerous internal disputes and public scrutiny.
Ultimately, all 25 Republicans who voted against conservative favorite Jim Jordan in the third vote on the House floor cast their ballots in favor of Johnson, securing his election as Speaker of the House.
- Don Bacon (NE-2nd): Patrick McHenry
- Vern Buchanan (FL-16th): Byron Donalds
- Ken Buck (CO-4th): Tom Emmer
- Lori Chavez-Deremer (OR-5th): McHenry
- Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26th): Scalise
- Anthony D’Esposito- (NY-4th): Lee Zeldin
- Jake Ellzey (TX-6th) Mike Garcia
- Drew Ferguson (GA-3rd): Scalise
- Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1st): McHenry
- Andrew Garbarino (NY 2nd): Lee Zeldin
- Carlos Gimenez (FL-28th): McCarthy
- Tony Gonzales (TX-23rd): Scalise
- Kay Granger (TX-12th): Scalise
- John James (MI-10th): Scalise
- Tom Kean (NJ-7th): McCarthy
- Jen Kiggans (VA-2nd): McHenry
- Nick LaLota (NY-1st): Zeldin
- Mike Kelly (PA-16th): Scalise
- Mike Lawler (NY-17th): McHenry
- Marinette Miller-Meeks (IA-2nd): McHenry
- Marc Molinaro (NY-19th): Zeldin
- John Rutherford (FL-5th): Scalise
- Mike Simpson (ID-2nd): Scalise
- Pete Stauber (MN-8th): Bruce Westerman
- Steve Womack (AR-3rd): Scalise
Johnson, now serving his fourth term representing Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District, is no stranger to leadership roles within the Republican Party. He holds the position of Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference and is a key participant on both the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees.
Additionally, he serves as Deputy Whip for House Republicans.
This marks Johnson’s second term as Vice Chairman, having previously held the role of Chairman of the Republican Study Committee – often referred to as Capitol Hill’s “intellectual arsenal” and largest caucus of conservatives.
A dedicated husband and father of four, Johnson draws from his Christian faith in leading prayers on Capitol Hill.
His commitment to defending fundamental freedoms and traditional values stems from his background in constitutional law; he earned his degree from Louisiana State University before launching a career devoted to these causes both in courtrooms and through public discourse.
Finally! The decision is made in conference, then it is incumbent on all members to support that nominee.
We’ll see how it turns out! We needed to get the USA government back in working condition [such as it is].
Amen finally a speaker who isn’t afraid to stand up against the Democrats & stand up for we the people. It’s a Blessing to see the Lord being brought back into our government. Thank you speaker Johnson for starting immediately to work for us the People.