Rep. Mike Johnson elected new speaker of the House
- The Louisiana lawmaker was first elected in December 2016
- He was the party's fourth attempt to find a new leader
- The House has been without a speaker for weeks
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(NewsNation) — Ending a weeks-long dispute over who will become speaker of the House, the chamber’s Republicans voted to elect Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to lead the body.
Johnson received 220 votes as part of his victory.
Johnson was the fourth nominee put forward to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted earlier this month.
The Louisiana congressman is an attorney who was first elected to Congress in December 2016 and represents the fourth district of Louisiana. Before winning a seat in the House, he served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2015 to 2017.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to have been elected the 56th Speaker of the House. Thank you to my colleagues, friends, staff, and family for the unmatched support throughout this process. It has been an arduous few weeks, and a reminder that the House is as complicated and diverse as the people we represent. The urgency of this moment demands bold, decisive action to restore trust, advance our legislative priorities, and demonstrate good governance,” said Johnson in a statement posted to X.
“Our House Republican Conference is united, and eager to work. As Speaker, I will ensure the House delivers results and inspires change for the American people. We will restore trust in this body. We will advance a comprehensive conservative policy agenda, combat the harmful policies of the Biden Administration, and support our allies abroad. And we will restore sanity to a government desperately in need of it. Let’s get back to work.”
Johnson is considered a close ally of former President Donald Trump.
Trump previously came out against the leadership bid of Minnesota Republican Tom Emmer, who vied for the spot earlier this week.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.