Johnson is the fourth and possibly final speaker nominee picked by House Republicans.
The House finally elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) to be their 56th speaker, more than three weeks after former Speaker McCarthy (R-Calif) was ousted.
He won the speakership with a unanimous vote from his fellow Republicans 220-209.
Mr. Johnson, 51, was nominated by the Republican conference with 128 votes in closed-door balloting after three rounds of voting late on Oct. 24.
In a press conference after the nomination on Tuesday, the Louisiana lawmaker noted that “democracy is messy sometimes,” but stressed the House Republican majority was “united” in its vote for him.
Johnson Pledges a ‘New Form of Government’
He also announced that the House would hold a floor vote on Wednesday to “make this official,” although he still needs almost all Republicans in the public roll call to win the gavel.
“I’m honored to have the support of my colleagues,” Mr. Johnson told reporters. “This is servant leadership. We’re going to serve the people of this country. We’re going to restore their faith in this Congress, this institution of government. America is the last best hope of man on the earth.”
In addition, the Louisiana Republican vowed to restore America’s trust in Congress and promised swift government reform if he were to secure the position of House speaker.
“You’re going to see a new form of government, and we are going to move this quickly. This group here is ready to govern, and we’re going to govern well—we’re going to do what’s right by the people,” the Republican told reporters.
What follows are some things to know about the relatively little-known Rep. Johnson.
Who Is Mike Johnson?
Mr. Johnson is a lawyer specializing in constitutional issues. He earned his juris doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1998 and earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Louisiana State University in 1995, according to his official website.
