The House GOP picked Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest speaker nominee Tuesday evening, though the Louisiana Republican so far lacks the 217 votes needed to win the gavel – the latest sign that Republicans are still no closer to electing a new speaker three weeks after Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster.

The vote for Johnson came at the end of a tumultuous day that began when Republicans voted to elect Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer as speaker nominee only for Emmer drop out just hours later amid stiff resistance from the right flank of the conference and a major rebuke from former President Donald Trump.

In the final round of secret-ballot voting, Johnson was elected speaker nominee with 128 votes. McCarthy received 43 votes, the next highest tally, and some House Republicans are blaming the California Republican for undercutting Johnson’s ascent. Ahead of Tuesday night’s votes, some members raised the idea of a McCarthy tag team with Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to solve the speakership stalemate – with McCarthy returning as speaker and then making Jordan his “assistant speaker,” sources told CNN.

  • Nobody@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    1 year ago

    McCarthy will never let it go. He’s going to compromise the speakership even more with some awful deal for a “co-speaker” with some obstructionist asshole like Gym.

    He’ll go down in history as the guy who turned the speakership into a joke. A clown amongst clowns. The face of failure.

    • ripcord@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      I thought he said he’d never do it again? And this is the first I’ve heard of him being back in (but I haven’t been following that closely). When’d he flip flop (or am I wrong)?

      • woddy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        Unless he has changed his mind again, afaik he said “I wasnt gonna run for it again but after the Israel conflict Im looking into running again because the house needs leadership.”