courtesy: Axios
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House Republicans were quick to replace their third nominee for speaker on Tuesday as they put forward a new and fourth name, pressing to put an end to a remarkable three-week-long deadlock that has left Congress leaderless.
Representative Mike Johnson, a little-known social conservative from Louisiana, emerged as the latest contender for the position after Minnesota’s Tom Emmer, No. 3 House Republican, dropped his name only hours after his nomination. Emmer’s oust from nomination was followed by a swift backlash from the right including former president Donald Trump, which left his candidacy in shambles.
But by late, Tuesday night, Johnson appeared to have put together a coalition that brought him closer to capturing the speakership than any candidate has been since the hard- right rebels ousted Kevin McCarthy from the speakership.
Standing beside dozens of other Republicans in a show of unity, Johnson said, “Democracy is messy sometimes, but its our system,” as he was nominated by GOP.
The social conservative, Johnson, is a lawyer and has served as the chairman of the Republican Study Committee.