What to know about House GOP speaker candidate Mike Johnson
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Sareen Habeshian
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Rep. Mike Johnson outside a House Republican Conference election meeting on Oct. 24. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Republican Conference Vice Chair Mike Johnson (R-La.) is the latest House speaker nominee in a carousel of GOP candidates.
Why it matters: After three failed candidates and three weeks without a speaker, Johnson is trying to succeed where the others failed by uniting the conference behind him.
Catch up quick: Johnson was previously defeated on the internal ballot by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).
But Emmer withdrew his candidacy later Tuesday — just hours after winning the GOP nomination for the role.
Johnson then emerged from a fresh round of voting on Tuesday night.
What is Johnson's background?
Johnson, 51, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2016, and is currently serving his fourth term in the House.
He represents Louisiana's fourth congressional district, which includes nearly 760,000 residents. Johnson won the seat with the largest margin of victory in his region in more than 50 years, according to a biography on his website.
Of note: After earning both a bachelor's degree and a law degree from Louisiana State University, Johnson spent nearly 20 years practicing constitutional law.
Johnson then served in the Louisiana Legislature from February 2015 to January 2017.
He and his wife, Kelly Johnson, have been married since 1999 and have four children.
Where does he fit into the GOP landscape?
Johnson is serving as vice chair of the House Republican Conference for a second time, after being unanimously re-elected last year.
He also serves as a deputy whip for the 118th Congress, and currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee and on the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
What he's saying: In a letter to colleagues over the weekend, Johnson said it's the duty of House Republicans to "chart a new path" and that he has a "clear vision and plan for how to lead."
He added that until colleagues reached out to encourage him to seek the nomination, "I had never contacted one person about this, and I have never before aspired to the office."
Between the lines: A well-liked member of leadership, Johnson is widely viewed as a policy-oriented and principled conservative — if not a bit milquetoast, Axios' Zachary Basu and Juliegrace Brufke report.
Among the eight Republicans who made a pitch for the position, Johnson (R-La.) has seen the greatest share of his sponsored bills become law — 6.5%.
Who's supporting him?
Johnson came in second place out of nine candidates on Tuesday morning, indicating wide support, mainly among conservatives.
After he emerged as the nominee later in the day, only a few GOP members suggested they would not vote for him on the House floor.
What's Johnson's relationship with Trump?
Johnson is known to be a Trump ally and was a staunch defender of the former president during the impeachment hearings.
The Louisiana Republican led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in four swing states.
The team of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a driving force of the House Jan. 6 committee and an outspoken Trump critic, released old videos highlighting Johnson's involvement, as well as a quote in the New York Times that called him "the most important architect of the Electoral College objections," NBC reports.
Go deeper: GOP's accelerating doom loop deposes Tom Emmer in record four hours
I assume that's Mike Johnson in the Scavino pic? With the glasses? The hair looks too curly though to be him. Here he is with Trump at the SOTU https://imgur.com/a/XQRvNHu
u/#q3826
https://twitter.com/Scavino45/status/1224922494412427265
24 hour rule
in this case for what?
Just my thinking to wait before believing anything from the news.
seems pretty elected to me, i will however wait to see what his actions are.
:)
Yeah
Yes!
What to know about House GOP speaker candidate Mike Johnson headshot Sareen Habeshian
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Rep. Mike Johnson outside a House Republican Conference election meeting on Oct. 24. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Republican Conference Vice Chair Mike Johnson (R-La.) is the latest House speaker nominee in a carousel of GOP candidates.
Why it matters: After three failed candidates and three weeks without a speaker, Johnson is trying to succeed where the others failed by uniting the conference behind him.
Catch up quick: Johnson was previously defeated on the internal ballot by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).
But Emmer withdrew his candidacy later Tuesday — just hours after winning the GOP nomination for the role. Johnson then emerged from a fresh round of voting on Tuesday night. What is Johnson's background? Johnson, 51, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2016, and is currently serving his fourth term in the House.
He represents Louisiana's fourth congressional district, which includes nearly 760,000 residents. Johnson won the seat with the largest margin of victory in his region in more than 50 years, according to a biography on his website. Of note: After earning both a bachelor's degree and a law degree from Louisiana State University, Johnson spent nearly 20 years practicing constitutional law.
Johnson then served in the Louisiana Legislature from February 2015 to January 2017. He and his wife, Kelly Johnson, have been married since 1999 and have four children. Where does he fit into the GOP landscape? Johnson is serving as vice chair of the House Republican Conference for a second time, after being unanimously re-elected last year.
He also serves as a deputy whip for the 118th Congress, and currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee and on the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. What he's saying: In a letter to colleagues over the weekend, Johnson said it's the duty of House Republicans to "chart a new path" and that he has a "clear vision and plan for how to lead."
He added that until colleagues reached out to encourage him to seek the nomination, "I had never contacted one person about this, and I have never before aspired to the office." Between the lines: A well-liked member of leadership, Johnson is widely viewed as a policy-oriented and principled conservative — if not a bit milquetoast, Axios' Zachary Basu and Juliegrace Brufke report.
Among the eight Republicans who made a pitch for the position, Johnson (R-La.) has seen the greatest share of his sponsored bills become law — 6.5%. Who's supporting him? Johnson came in second place out of nine candidates on Tuesday morning, indicating wide support, mainly among conservatives.
After he emerged as the nominee later in the day, only a few GOP members suggested they would not vote for him on the House floor. What's Johnson's relationship with Trump? Johnson is known to be a Trump ally and was a staunch defender of the former president during the impeachment hearings.
The Louisiana Republican led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in four swing states. The team of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a driving force of the House Jan. 6 committee and an outspoken Trump critic, released old videos highlighting Johnson's involvement, as well as a quote in the New York Times that called him "the most important architect of the Electoral College objections," NBC reports. Go deeper: GOP's accelerating doom loop deposes Tom Emmer in record four hours
https://twitter.com/RepMikeJohnson/status/1717194879116148974
ONE NATION UNDER GOD
I assume that's Mike Johnson in the Scavino pic? With the glasses? The hair looks too curly though to be him. Here he is with Trump at the SOTU https://imgur.com/a/XQRvNHu
u/#q1102