House elects Rep. Mike Johnson as new speaker, breaking weekslong stalemate

Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as the new House speaker Wednesday after three weeks of infighting and chaos, finally uniting around a relative newcomer known as a quiet intellectual and staunch conservative who is dedicated to political civility.

Mr. Johnson won the gavel in one round of voting, and his election unlocks the House floor for business for the first time since Oct. 3, when a group of conservative hardliners pushed out then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican. Mr. Johnson was elected unanimously by Republicans. The final vote was 220-209.

Mr. Johnson, 51, who took office in 2017, was serving as the vice chairman of the conference, a relatively obscure and low-level leadership position when he became the last, best nominee for House Republicans who have been fighting for weeks over who should lead them.

Republicans nominated Mr. Johnson late Tuesday night, shortly after their third nominee in three weeks, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, was forced to drop out because a group of conservatives opposed him. Former President Donald Trump also criticized him.

Mr. Johnson, now the speaker, has been thrust from the number-five GOP leadership position to second in line to the presidency, and will oversee a 435-member House in which he has served for only six years.

Like his predecessor, Mr. McCarthy, he’ll have to govern with the GOP’s razor-thin majority. And thanks to the extended leadership stalemate, he will face an immediate crisis that deeply divides his conference: Funding the federal government before a Nov. 17 deadline hits.

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He’ll also have to navigate the political divide over a new emergency funding package meant to aid both Israel and Ukraine.

Mr. Johnson was nominated for the speaker’s gavel by Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, New York Republican. She praised Mr. Johnson’s service on the Judiciary Committee, where his expertise as a constitutional lawyer has made him a standout on the panel. He also served on the Armed Services Committee.

“And as vice chair of our conference, he has united all of our members to speak clearly and boldly on behalf of the American people,” Ms. Stefanik said. “A friend to all and an enemy to none. Mike is strong, tough and fair. And above all, Mike is kind.”

Democrats voted for their Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and framed Mr. Johnson as a far-right Republican who helped author a lawsuit that sought to block 2020 presidential election results.

“Has this been about a focus of House Republicans, to find the person who can pass their extremely litmus test to oppose marriage equality, enact a nationwide abortion ban without exceptions, gut Social Security and Medicare and support overturning a free and fair election?” Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the Democrat’s caucus chair, said in his speech nominating Mr. Jeffries. “It’s a fair question.”

Republicans said Mr. Johnson’s low-key leadership style and conservative record helped make him an appealing enough of a candidate to finally end the bitter stalemate that forced out Mr. McCarthy and blocked Mr. Emmer, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Rep. Jim Jordan from winning the gavel.

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Members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, who were critical of Mr. McCarthy’s leadership and whose members helped push him out, plan to give Mr. Johnson, who is not a Freedom Caucus member, “more grace” than they gave Mr. McCarthy, said Rep. Dusty Johnson, South Dakota Republican.

For one, they said they’d agree to another short-term spending bill to keep the government open. Mr. McCarthy’s move to pass a similar bill, which is now keeping the government open, led to his ouster.

“I think they are going to give him a little more runway to try to deal with the next three months,” Mr. Johnson said of the Freedom Caucus. “But listen, he’s gonna have his work cut out for him.”