Johnson Officially Wins House Speakership on House Floor

by Nicholas Ballasy

The GOP-led House voted Wednesday to elect Rep. Mike Johnson speaker after 3 weeks without a chamber leader, according to the final vote tally.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the House GOP conference chair, nominated Johnson on the floor. 

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, is the fourth candidate to win the speaker nomination after the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 3.

Johnson, vice chair of the House GOP conference, lost to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., on Tuesday but Emmer eventually dropped out due to opposition from 26 Republicans, which would have been enough to sink his ascension to the speakership on the House floor. 

Former President Trump came out against Emmer’s nomination after the GOP conference vote. 

Johnson won on Tuesday night with 128 votes. He needs 217 votes to win the speakership on the House floor. 

On the House floor Wednesday ahead of the vote, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., criticized Johnson for supporting efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in certain states. 

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Nicholas Ballasy has been breaking news for more than a decade in the nation’s capital and questioning political leaders about the most pressing issues facing the nation.