The GOP announced late Tuesday night its fourth House Speaker nominee in approximately two weeks.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) is the party’s latest attempt to fill the top House of Representatives position.
🚨Breaking News: Mike Johnson has won the GOP Nomination for Speaker of the House. pic.twitter.com/GNfn7A7Bmt
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) October 25, 2023
The GOP held another candidate forum after House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) dropped out of the race.
Emmer withdrew his name from consideration after heavy criticism from President Trump.
The Hill reports:
House Republicans nominated Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) for Speaker Tuesday evening, making him the fourth GOP lawmaker to win the conference’s nod — and its second nominee within a day after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) dropped out of the running amid GOP opposition.
Johnson’s nomination capped off the end of a whirlwind day — but forecasted signs of even more twists and turn in the Speaker saga as more than three dozen House lawmakers signaled allegiance to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
The House GOP is becoming increasingly desperate in its quest to find a Republican who can win the Speaker’s gavel on the House floor, after passing the three-week mark since eight Republicans joined with Democrats to oust McCarthy.
Earlier in the day, Johnson came in second to Emmer in a nominating vote that spanned five ballots.
But hours later, Emmer dropped out as he faced opposition from more than two dozen House Republicans who asserted he was not conservative enough — and former President Trump, who dubbed Emmer a “Globalist RINO.”
Joey Mannarino provided this breakdown of the Louisiana Republican:
Meet Mike Johnson – the fourth Speaker Designate for the House, receiving 127 votes from the GOP conference.
Mike has a Liberty Score of 74%.
He’s from the state of Louisiana and has served in Congress since 2017.
His voting record is mostly solid.
He was instrumental in getting the Texas Amicus Brief going in 2020 and voted AGAINST certifying the fraudulent 2020 election.
He has not voted in favor of any funding for Ukraine other than the initial funding bill.
He supported Trump’s ban on terror-prone nations.
He served as a member of Trump’s legal defense team during both the 2019 and 2020 Senate impeachment trials
He’s extremely conservative on social issues. In 2022, he introduced the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, which would prohibit federally funded institutions from promoting child sexual izarían and transgenderisation.
He’s personal friends with Amy Coney Barrett.
He’s actually a great pick, though we just don’t hear much about him.
I like Mike. How about you?
Meet Mike Johnson – the fourth Speaker Designate for the House, receiving 127 votes from the GOP conference.
Mike has a Liberty Score of 74%.
He’s from the state of Louisiana and has served in Congress since 2017.
His voting record is mostly solid.
He was instrumental in… pic.twitter.com/MVg0MSjMtf
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) October 25, 2023
BREAKING: House Republicans have just chosen Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as the party’s new nominee for speaker after multiple rounds of voting. Johnson received 128 votes in the final round, with Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., getting 29. pic.twitter.com/G2zlVhHQ1r
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) October 25, 2023
🚨Third and Final Internal GOP Vote Results Tonight:
Mike Johnson (LA) – 128
Other – 44
Byron Donalds (FL) – 29Johnson declared Speaker-designate, Donalds backs Johnson. Floor vote planned for noon tomorrow.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 25, 2023
The Associated Press added:
After he withdrew Tuesday afternoon, Emmer briskly left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans, but he returned later to offices at the Capitol. He said Trump’s opposition did not affect his decision to bow out.
“I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference,” he said, referring to the GOP majority. He said he would support whomever emerges as the new nominee. “We’ll get it done.”
Trump, speaking as he left the courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his “un-endorsement” must have had an impact on Emmer’s bid.
“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, the party’s front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.
House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again.
Attention quickly turned to Johnson of Louisiana, a member of party leadership who was the second highest vote-getter on Tuesday’s internal ballots. He earned 128 votes in the evening vote.
A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.