Louisiana's Mike Johnson becomes frontrunner for House speaker when Tom Emmer withdraws

NOLA ^ | 10/24/23 | Mark Ballard

[cotton1706]

WASHINGTON – At lunch Tuesday, a majority of Republicans tapped Majority Whip Tom Emmer to be the next speaker of the House. By cocktail hour, Emmer was out.

It had become clear during the three-plus hours Emmer was the nominee that, like the two previous speaker-designees, the Minnesota Republican would get nowhere near the almost-unanimous support of House Republicans he needed to win the speaker’s gavel.

Emmer's departure has opened the door for Rep. Mike Johnson, of Benton, to possibly be elected the fourth speaker-designate since Kevin McCarthy was ousted on Oct. 3. His staff confirms that Johnson is back in the race – this time as the front runner, after he came in a surprisingly strong second to Emmer in secret balloting early Tuesday.

Johnson had no immediate comment on his prospects.

House Republicans were set to hold a candidate forum Tuesday night. At a minimum, Johnson will face Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, who was one of the also-rans Tuesday morning but said late in the day that he plans to take another swing.

Emmer bested eight of his colleagues early Tuesday to win the title of speaker-designate. But things went south quickly. Punchbowl News and other Capitol Hill sources reported that an internal party tally showed Emmer was 26 Republicans short of the 217 needed to win.

With 221 Republicans in the 435-seat House, Emmer could only afford to lose four GOP votes.

Within hours of his win in the GOP conference, Emmer suffered a setback when former President Donald called him a "RINO" – Republican in Name Only – on social media and said making him speaker would be a "tragic mistake." Emmer had sought Trump's backing.

[roving]

I like it.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Let’s make history and elect Byron Donalds.

[cotton1706]

“Let’s make history and elect Byron Donalds.”

I don’t think he’s going anywhere. I think it’ll be Johnson or Hern.

[McGavin999]

Johnson is a good man. Donalds is too, he and Herndon would both bring a businessman’s approach to the House. I wish I knew more about Hern.

[M Kehoe]

Daniel Webster.

5.56mm

[rovenstinez]

Hern is loved in conservative Oklahoma.

[fieldmarshaldj]

https://libertyscore.conservativereview.com/

Johnson has a mediocre 74% Conservative rating. Hern’s is 82%. Donalds got a 100%. It’s a no-brainer here.

[genghis]

Bd great but mj very good

[fieldmarshaldj]

See post #8.

[Brilliant]

I think it’s eventually going to come back to MCCarthy.

[Howie66]

Conservative Review score: Mike Johnson C 74%

Kevin Hern B 82%

[ridesthemiles]

WHY are so many people so ready to elect a criminal-—drug charges/bank fraud as SPEAKER?

I DON’T GET IT.

There are many other persons who NEVER had any such charges.

[cotton1706]

Yes, Hern is more conservative. Both he and Green are in the 80th percentile. So preferable.

But Johnson’s 74% is a point in his favor. He’s right in the middle between the 50th percentile pantywaists (McCarthy, McHenry, Scalise) and the 90th percentile Jordan (94%). So might be more likely to get the votes of the moderate caucus, which somebody in the middle is going to get.

[jacknhoo]

Mike Johnson - LA
Liberty Score: C 74%
5 years in DC

Some Liberal votes: Big spender with no debates. Women in the draft. War without debate. Federal pay mandatory spending.

See them all:
https://libertyscore.conservativereview.com/mike-johnson

[cotton1706]

“I think it’s eventually going to come back to MCCarthy.”

Yeah, I don’t see that happening.

[Nateman]

It’s going to drag on for a long time. You have grifters who want the loot to continue to flow verses patriots who put America first .

[jacknhoo]

Yeah, obviously we need some compromise and Mike Johnson seems to be not too bad for anyone.

Seems to have leadership ability:

Committees and Caucuses
Committees and Subcommittees
Judiciary Committee

Chairman, Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government

Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust

Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government

Armed Services Committee

Subcommittee on Readiness

Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces

Caucuses
Chairman, Congressional Long Range Strike Caucus

Republican Study Committee

Congressional Sportsmen Caucus

Natural Gas Caucus

Western Caucus

Working Forests Caucus

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Caucus

Values Action Team

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus

International Religious Freedom Caucus

Congressional Prayer Caucus

Congressional Caucus on Long-Range Strike

Congressional Second Amendment Caucus

House Army Caucus

House Air Force Caucus

Border Security Caucus

House Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus

Congressional Rice Caucus

Congressional Taiwan Caucus

National Guard Youth Challenge Caucus

Congressional Fire Services Caucus

https://mikejohnson.house.gov/about/committees-and-caucuses.htm

Here’s his website:
https://mikejohnson.house.gov/

[Political Junkie Too]

WHY are so many people so ready to elect a criminal-—drug charges/bank fraud as SPEAKER? I DON’T GET IT.

Because he was a 19-year-old who turned his life around? The conviction was expunged, meaning the judicial system found enough reason to believe the conviction was troublesome. Perhaps Donalds was a 22-year-old black man with a marijuana possession rap who got Nifonged in Florida over a questionable banking transaction?

We'll never know, but we do know that he turned his life around in the last 20 years and made something of himself.

-PJ

[tennmountainman]

74% Conservative Rating does not cut it.