Staff Reports
After a chaotic three-week wait, the Republican Party has finally found its new Speaker of the House in the form of Mike Johnson from Louisiana. With a staggering 220 votes, Johnson managed to secure the position, surpassing the elusive 217 threshold that Jim Jordan failed to achieve. It’s clear that party lines were strictly drawn, as House Minority Hakeem Jeffries received 209 votes from his Democratic colleagues. This marks Jeffries’ 19th consecutive loss in speaker elections, an unfortunate streak that includes battles against both Kevin McCarthy and Jordan.
The road to finding a new speaker has been nothing short of tumultuous. Initially, frontrunners Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan seemed poised to take over from McCarthy, but neither were able to rally enough support from the House GOP. Even House Majority Whip Tom Emmer briefly held the role of Republican speaker designee, until Donald Trump’s disapproval dashed his hopes. It wasn’t until Tuesday night that Johnson emerged as the chosen one.
??BREAKING: For the first time in 22 days, the Republican party has unanimously elected a new Speaker of the House to replace Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
Here's who House Republicans elected:
– Johnson is the cosponsor of at least three bills that would ban… pic.twitter.com/hwEpTZQzdv— Really American ?? (@ReallyAmerican1) October 25, 2023
So, why Johnson? Well, RedState’s Joe Cunningham believes his lack of affiliation with the House Freedom Caucus played a significant role in his favor. The more moderate wing of the party has strong reservations about figures like Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz, making any connection with the Freedom Caucus a potential liability for Johnson. Furthermore, Johnson seems to be well-liked within his conference, as evidenced by Cathy McMorris Rodgers affectionately referring to him as “Mike ‘Magic’ Johnson.” Jeff Van Drew also expressed his optimism, stating, “We are back and better than ever.”
With Johnson officially taking the reins, the gavel has been passed, indicating that the House of Representatives is ready to get back to work. The search for a new Speaker of the House may have been long and chaotic, but for conservatives, Mike Johnson’s election represents a new era of effective and impactful leadership.
