Johnson is next to win GOP speaker nomination as Republicans push for floor vote
Cami Mondeaux Reese Gorman
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House Republicans selected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as their next speaker nominee, hoping to end the weekslong saga that has left the lower chamber at a standstill.
Johnson won the nomination after three rounds of voting on Tuesday evening, making him the fourth House Republican to be elected speaker-designate in the last three weeks. The victory comes just hours after Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) withdrew as the speaker nominee after it became evident he could not secure the 217 majority votes needed on the floor.
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Republicans started the forum with six candidates on the secret ballot, which shortly fell to five after Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) announced he would drop his bid before voting began.
Members went through four rounds of voting, of which Johnson emerged as the winner of each. However, the majority whip failed to win the simple majority on the first two ballots, triggering a subsequent round.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) was dropped during the first round, followed by Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) in the second and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) in the third. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) voluntarily withdrew after the second round.
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Immediately after the vote was called, Republicans conducted a closed-door roll call to see whether enough members would support Johnson’s nomination on the floor. During that vote, nearly all present Republicans said they’d back him although there were more than 20 members absent, making it unclear how they’ll vote. (Johnson can only afford to lose four votes on the floor if all members are present and voting.)
The House is expected to reconvene at noon for votes, Johnson said.