Republicans on Tuesday chose US Representative Mike Johnson as their latest nominee for speaker of the US House of Representatives just hours after an earlier pick abruptly withdrew.
Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House Republican leadership team, became the fourth Republican nominee since US Representative Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as speaker.
Johnson, who won the majority behind closed doors, would need almost all Republicans in the public roll call to win the gavel.
Photo: Reuters
While Johnson had no opponents during the private roll call, about two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.
“Pretty sad commentary on governance right now,” US Representative Steve Womack said. “Maybe on the fourth or fifth or sixth or 10th try, we’ll get this thing right.”
After he withdrew on Tuesday afternoon, US Representative Tom Emmer left the building where he had been meeting privately with Republicans.
He said later at the Capitol that opposition from former US president Donald Trump had not affected his decision to bow out.
“I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference,” he said, referring to the Republican majority.
Emmer said that he would support whoever emerges as the new nominee.
“We’ll get it done,” he said.
Trump, speaking as he left a courtroom in New York where he faces business fraud charges, said his “un-endorsement” must have had an impact on Emmer’s bid.
“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, the party’s front-runner for next year’s presidential election, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.
Johnson, 51, was the second-highest vote-getter on Tuesday morning’s internal ballots.
However, some resisted Johnson’s bid and a new list of candidates emerged, among them US Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, who ran third on the morning ballot.
In the end, Johnson won 128 votes on the evening ballot, more than any other candidate.
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