House GOP Picks Mike Johnson as Speaker-Designate in Latest Bid to End Stalemate

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was picked late Tuesday as the latest nominee to take up the House speakership since it was left vacant following a historic ouster vote.

Fellow US Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) congratulated Johnson for being elected speaker-designate of the lower congressional chamber, writing on social media: “Congratulations to speaker-designate Republican Mike Johnson."

Johnson, whose win reportedly prompted a chorus of applause during a closed-door voting session, managed to clinch the nomination with 128 votes.

“Democracy is messy sometimes but it is our system,” Johnson told reporters outside the conference room. “This conference that you see — this House Republican majority — is united.”

Johnson further noted that he would be "working" overnight with Republicans who were absent during the vote.

Reports have indicated 43 Republicans threw their backing for US Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was booted from the post in early October and was not formally running again for the speakership. One vote was given to US Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who previously failed to gain enough support despite holding three floor votes.

Although the little-known Louisiana lawmaker was able to come out on top, it remains unclear whether he will meet the same fate as his predecessors and fail to gain the 217 Republican votes needed to secure the gavel. To date, none of the nominated candidates have been able to win over enough detractors.

Of the GOP candidates, Johnson has the least amount of congressional experience, having only served three full terms in the chamber. The lawmaker was elected to Congress in 2016 and served as the chair of the Republican Study Committee between 2019 and 2021. He presently serves as the vice chairman to the House Republican Conference.

During his brief time on Capitol Hill, Johnson infamously filed a brief on a Texas lawsuit that sought to invalidate the results of the 2020 presidential election on the basis that pandemic-era changes made to state laws were unconstitutional.

Johnson's rise to nominee status came hours after he initially placed second to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), who ultimately dropped out of the contest in a matter of hours once he failed to gain sufficient backing from his fellow Republicans.

A floor vote is expected to take place on Wednesday.