Representative Mike Johnson,

a relatively inexperienced Republican congressman from Louisiana who fought to overturn the election questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election,

was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday

to soften

of leaderless chaos that followed October 19th. 3 ouster of Bakersfield Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

Johnson’s ascension to

The speaker’s chair cements a fiercely pro-Trump, hardline faction as the face of the national Republican Party. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is second in line, after the Vice President, to fill any presidential vacancies.

The vote was 220 to 209, with Republicans in the House of Representatives voting unanimously for Johnson and all Democrats present

support for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

The

result of the vote

insists Johnson, a former Conservative

conversation

radio host

now in his fourth term

in the national spotlight.

Johnson led the Republican Study Committee, a group of socially conservative lawmakers, and was vice chairman of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, a low-level party leadership post. But he never chaired a congressional committee.

and will the

least experienced speaker

in 140 years

.

The Louisianan played a key role in former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Johnson not only voted against certifying certain election results, he also helped rally more than a hundred Republicans in the House of Representatives to sign a letter supporting a Texas-led effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to certify the election results in four states won by then-candidate Joe Biden. .

The lawsuit received strong reactions not only from Democrats, but also from legal experts

,

who considered it worthless and superficial.

A previous speaker nominee, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, was also deeply involved in election denialism, but he did not receive the support he needed to become speaker. Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, who voted for Johnson on Wednesday and previously against Jordan, said there was an important difference. Before the vote, Buck said Johnson’s involvement differed from Jordan’s because Johnson focused his efforts on the justice system, which is “fundamentally different than someone who is actively involved in moving the protesters out of the mall” and into the Capitol. told reporters.

Johnson

So

supports new restrictions on the rights of LGBTQ Americans. Last year he introduced legislation that makes that possible

would have

Bans federally funded institutions from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity. He is a fierce opponent of gender-affirming care for trans youth.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a Washington-based nonprofit that opposes abortion rights, awarded Johnson an A+ for his efforts to limit access to the medical procedure.

Democrats publicly described Johnson as an extremist, even before he took the gavel.

“Republicans in the House of Representatives have bowed to former President Trump and nominated MAGA extremist Mike Johnson as speaker,” Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “He plotted to overturn the 2020 election, supports criminalizing abortion and wants to cut social security. Ordinary Americans cannot afford their extremism.”

Before the vote, a handful of Democrats shook Johnson’s hand, while Republicans lined up to take selfies with the president-elect.

Although Johnson is not a prolific fundraiser

and has no national profile

,

his short time in national politics and lack of a national profile mean that

he does not carry the same political baggage that pressured several previous candidates for speaker.

An upcoming HBO documentary about a major sex abuse scandal at Ohio State University could have been spooky

Ohio Representative Jim

Jordan if his colleagues had elevated him to speaker. And House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana faced flak

for allegedly attending an event in the early 2000s organized by a group founded by David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

Johnson will have to negotiate with seasoned Democratic leaders, including Biden and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, on a range of pressing issues, including possible funding for Ukraine and Israel to help them

their respective wars. He will also have to decide whether to strike a deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown on Nov. 17, which could leave military and other federal workers without pay before the holidays.

Before you win

After the floor vote, Johnson outlined a year-long itinerary for his conference, saying he would pass key appropriations bills by the end of this week.

The Republican Party was left without a leader for more than three weeks after eight Republicans, led by Matt Gaetz of Florida, pushed McCarthy of Bakersfield out of the speaker’s chair. 3 with the help of House Democrats.

The historic vote left the House leaderless for 23 days and thrust the embarrassing infighting within the Republican conference into the public spotlight. Before Johnson, three other men raised their hands for the Scalise role;

from Louisiana,

Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee; and majority whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota tried but failed to win a majority.

Scalise quit less than a day after securing the nomination. Jordan suffered three humiliating votes on the floor before he was forced to abandon his efforts. Emmer, who voted to certify the 2020 election results, quickly faced fierce opposition from far-right members and their leaders, Trump, who blasted the Minnesotan on social media and begged lawmakers to block his candidacy. Four hours after securing the nomination, Emmer quit.

The revolving door of nominated speakers was never about finding the right person to lead the Republican conference, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) said in a speech nominating Jeffries as speaker. This is about who can appease Donald Trump,” he said. At least three far-right Republicans stood and applauded in response. Before the vote, Trump made clear his support for Johnson.

Ed Rollins

a GOP strategist and former senior adviser to President Reagan agreed with Aguilar’s assessment, saying that “there has never been a president in my lifetime who has ever played such a role in the House.” Historically, presidents go and raise money,” he said. “But they don’t interfere in the speaker’s race.” Logan reported from Washington and Pinho from Santa Barbara.