House Republicans say fourth speaker nominee has the votes to win

The fourth time may be the charm for House Republicans who say their latest nominee for speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, likely has enough votes to win the gavel on the House floor on Wednesday.

The House gavels in at noon, and will likely call a vote for speaker within the hour.

Mr. Johnson, some Republican lawmakers say, can win the roughly 217 GOP votes needed to become speaker and end a stalemate that has lasted more than three weeks and has left the House unable to function.

“We are pretty solid behind Mike,” said Rep. John Rutherford, Florida Republican. “He has the trust of this conference.”

Mr. Johnson, 51, was nominated Tuesday after three previous nominees were forced to drop out after failing to win enough Republican support.

The third nominee, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, gave up his quest after four hours, in the face of opposition from two dozen conservatives and former President Donald Trump.

Mr. Johnson so far has not encountered factions of opposition that have blocked the previous three nominees.

He is a leadership backbencher who now serves in the number-five position of vice conference chairman. He previously headed the Republican Study Committee, the largest faction of House conservatives, so he’s well known.

He also enjoys the backing of Trump allies, who praised his conservative stance on spending and other key issues. A lawyer, Mr. Johnson helped to author a legal challenge to the 2020 presidential election results.

Mr. Rutherford said lawmakers are particularly enamored with his low-key temperament, which may be just what House Republicans need following weeks of heated discord over their leadership vacuum.

“I don’t know anyone that isn’t impressed with his intellect, his ability to communicate his but his temperament is what really, I think, told this whole room he can unify us,” Mr. Rutherford said.

 Mr. Johnson won the backing of all but a handful of GOP lawmakers who met privately Tuesday night. About 20 GOP lawmakers were not at the meeting, so there could be unknown holdouts. Three lawmakers voted present. One of them, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, announced Wednesday he’ll back Mr Johnson in the floor vote.

Because of the GOP’s slim majority, Mr. Johnson can only afford to lose roughly four Republican votes on the floor or face defeat.

Republicans say they are confident he will become the next speaker on Wednesday, and Mr. Johnson predicted that the fractured GOP would soon be running the House smoothly.

“You are going to see this group working like a well-oiled machine,” Mr. Johnson said. “We owe that to the American people.”