It will take some complex math for McCarthy to actually be elected speaker of the House

You may never have heard of Cheryl Johnson.

But you are certain to hear a lot about Johnson on January 3. 

It’s possible House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., may never clasp the gavel and become Speaker of the House on January 3.

By the same token, Cheryl Johnson may never be House Speaker. But she will certainly be the most powerful figure in the House of Representatives at least for a while on January 3 — and perhaps a little longer — if McCarthy struggles to sew up the votes. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tapped Johnson to become clerk of the House in late 2018. Johnson formally assumed the role in early 2019. But Republicans won control of the House last month. They’ll be in charge in January. That means Johnson — a Democratic appointee — will be out of a job soon. Republicans will select their own Clerk of the House.