House elects Mike Johnson as speaker after three weeks at an impasse

Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) to serve as the 56th speaker of the House after three weeks of the lower chamber sitting at a standstill and unable to complete any legislative business.

The Louisiana Republican won the gavel after surpassing the majority threshold needed to secure the gavel, beating House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) 220 to 209. Johnson was able to clinch the speakership on the first round of votes, unlike his predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who went 15 rounds before becoming speaker in January.

Johnson was tapped as the speaker-designate after a closed-door meeting Tuesday night after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) withdrew himself from consideration when it became apparent he wouldn’t have the majority support needed to win on the floor. Emmer had won the nomination just hours earlier during another secret ballot election.