WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — House Republicans will reconvene Wednesday to find a path to the next House speaker with their fourth nominee after three failed candidates and weeks without a speaker.
Indications suggest that the GOP is eager to swiftly resolve this matter with Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
Johnson successfully passed a roll call vote Tuesday night, securing the nomination with unanimous support. However, his path to reaching the required 217 votes for the House speaker position is not yet guaranteed. There’s a possibility of another roll call vote on Wednesday morning before the full House reconvenes at 12 p.m. EST.
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told NewsNation that the House GOP won’t have ‘any qualms’ about supporting Johnson as speaker.
“Mike Johnson is an individual that no one is going to have any qualms about going to the floor and putting their name behind his name. He’s got that kind of reputation. So I think you’ll see a uniting of the Republican Conference today,” Burlison said.
Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, shared similar sentiments and stated the House GOP would be “well served” with Johnson as speaker.
“I think his chances are excellent,” Burgess said. “He’s a steady hand, we all know him; he’s a happier warrior. Very conservative, very principled and we will be well served as Mike Johnson.”
Johson’s nomination followed a tumultuous Tuesday on Capitol Hill, which saw House Majority Whip Tom Emmer initially winning the nomination after several rounds of voting.
However, just a few hours later, Emmer withdrew his candidacy following public accusations from former President Donald Trump, who labeled him a “globalist RINO” and criticized his alignment with Republican values.
Subsequently, there was another late-night voting session among Republicans, ultimately resulting in Johnson emerging as the favored candidate.
“Democracy is messy sometimes but it is our system. This conference you see and this House Republican majority is united,” Johnson said.
Emmer became the third GOP nominee to flop since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted earlier this month. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise threw his support behind Johnson Tuesday.
Johnson has held the position of vice chairman of the House GOP for the past two years. He previously chaired the Republican Study Committee and served in the Lousiana State House.