U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson was House Republicans’ fourth speaker nominee since Oct. 3, and on Wednesday he accomplished what the others could not. Johnson, who hails from Louisiana, was elected to lead the chamber after receiving unanimous support from GOP lawmakers.
All nine Republican members of Georgia’s delegation voted in favor of Johnson; all five Democrats supported their leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
The final vote was 220-209 in Johnson’s favor. Unlike previous rounds, no other Republicans supported alternate candidates.
“Mike Johnson has the conservative record to unite the Republican conference and he has my vote on the floor,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, prior to the start of Wednesday’s session.
Johnson, who was first elected to Congress in 2016, was one of the architects of the failed effort to reject electoral votes from swing states won by Joe Biden in 2020, when he defeated Republican Donald Trump. He is among the most conservative House members policywise but is not among the far-right hard-liners who made life difficult for Kevin McCarthy when he was speaker.
Trump, whose lack of support helped tank at least one previous nominee, endorsed Johnson for speaker. That makes it likely that Johnson will become a new target for political messaging ahead of the 2024 election when Democrats hope to retake the House.
“With this GOP House majority, MAGA Republicans have been enabled and empowered,” Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, wrote on X. “For progress, for our country, and for our ability to govern, Democrats must flip the House in 2024.”
Johnson voted against more funding for Ukraine and opposed a temporary funding measure that avoided a government shutdown at the end of September. He was able to coalesce a Republican caucus that had grown weary of the infighting and the embarrassment it bore after failing to find a speaker candidate for more than three weeks.
Johnson becomes second in line — behind the vice president — if the president dies or steps down. Among the issues Johnson must tackle are funding the government past Nov. 17 — with a possible shutdown looming — and Biden’s request for funding for Israel, Ukraine and to increase security on the southern border.
HOW THEY VOTED ON ELECTING A U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER, ROUND 4, OCT. 25, 2023
Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler
U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson
U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-The Rock
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome
U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville
U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee
U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton
Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta
U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta
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