Washington, D.C. — Republican Mike Johnson has been elected as the new Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, securing the position weeks after the ouster of Kevin McCarthy.
According to a new release by the Philippines News Agency, Johnson received 220 votes in the election, surpassing Democrat nominee Hakeem Jeffries, who garnered 209 votes. Johnson, a lawmaker from Louisiana, is the fourth Republican to be nominated for the Speaker role this month.
In a statement, Johnson described his election as the “honor of a lifetime” and outlined his agenda for his tenure as Speaker. “As Speaker, I will ensure the House delivers results and inspires change for the American people. We will restore trust in this body. We will advance a comprehensive conservative policy agenda, combat the harmful policies of the Biden Administration, and support our allies abroad. And we will restore sanity to a government desperately in need of it,” Johnson stated on X (formerly Twitter).
Johnson has been a notable supporter of former President Donald Trump and has actively participated in congressional efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump extended his congratulations to Johnson, stating, “He is going to make us all proud.”
Johnson’s election follows a unique event in U.S. history, the removal of a sitting House Speaker via internal procedures. On October 3, Kevin McCarthy was ousted after a no-confidence vote that included eight House Republicans joining all present Democrats to remove him.