On Wednesday, Representative Mike Johnson, a member of the Republican Party from Louisiana, secured the position of House Speaker for the 118th United States Congress. This decision came after a twenty-two-day process that featured a competitive field of fourteen candidates, resulting in four nominees and four rounds of floor voting.
During the roll call, a total of 429 members were present to participate in the voting process. Among them, 220 belonged to the Republican Party, with one member marked as absent, while 209 were affiliated with the Democratic Party, and three were absent. Mike Johnson managed to obtain 220 votes out of the required 215 to become the Speaker of the House.
BREAKING: @RepMikeJohnson has officially been elected as the 56th Speaker of the House of Representatives.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 25, 2023
Corrupt Democrats, swampy lobbyists, and overpaid bureaucrats are hardest hit. pic.twitter.com/wrrN04KJAc
Notably, former GOP nominees, namely Jim Jordan, Tom Emmer, Steve Scalise, and the previous Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, all cast their votes in favor of Mike Johnson for the position of House Speaker.
Shortly before the crucial vote, Johnson utilized the social media platform X to deliver a strong and patriotic message. He shared an image of the American flag with the timeless phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 25, 2023
Tuesday night witnessed Johnson’s triumph as the final contender for the House Speaker nomination within the GOP. He secured this nomination after a series of voting rounds. Johnson maintained a consistent lead in the votes throughout the evening, with Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) emerging as his nearest rival.
Following his selection as the Republican nominee for the Speaker of the House, Congressman Mike Johnson extended an invitation to his GOP colleagues to join him in a moment of prayer, symbolizing unity and solidarity.
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
“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 said on his press conference.
Johnson, who is currently in his fourth term representing Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District, is well-acquainted with taking on leadership positions within the Republican Party.
Within the House Republican Conference, Johnson holds the role of Vice Chairman, and he plays a significant role on the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees. Additionally, he serves as the Deputy Whip for House Republicans. It’s noteworthy that this marks his second term as Vice Chairman. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, often recognized as the “intellectual arsenal” of Congress and the largest conservative caucus on Capitol Hill.
