Key takeaways:
- Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected as the 56th speaker of the House in a party-line vote.
- Johnson is a close ally of former President Donald Trump and led many of the 2020 election challenges.
- Johnson’s election as speaker is a remarkable rise for the conservative Trump ally and he is now second in line to the presidency.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives elected Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as the 56th speaker of the House. Johnson is the most ideologically conservative speaker since Newt Gingrich in the 1990s and was a key figure in the Republican effort to overturn the 2020 election.
Johnson was elected in a party-line vote, with all 220 Republicans voting for him and all 209 Democrats voting for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Johnson is a close ally of former President Donald Trump and had led many of the 2020 election challenges.
After the 2020 election, Johnson led an amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to overturn the election results in four swing states won by President Biden. The Supreme Court ultimately rejected the lawsuit, but Johnson’s involvement in the effort demonstrated his commitment to Trump’s election challenges.
Johnson’s election as speaker is a remarkable rise for the conservative Trump ally and low-ranking member of the GOP leadership team. He is now second in line to the presidency. It remains to be seen how Johnson’s speakership will affect the Republican Party and its relationship with the Biden administration.
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