Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson
Official portrait, 2024
56th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Assumed office
October 25, 2023
Preceded byKevin McCarthy
House positions
Leader of the House Republican Conference
Assumed office
October 25, 2023
Preceded byKevin McCarthy
Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference
In office
January 3, 2021 – October 25, 2023
LeaderKevin McCarthy
Preceded byMark Walker
Succeeded byBlake Moore
Chair of the Republican Study Committee
In office
January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021
Preceded byMark Walker
Succeeded byJim Banks
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's r district
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byJohn Fleming
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from the 8th district
In office
February 22, 2015 – January 3, 2017
Preceded byJeff R. Thompson
Succeeded byRaymond Crews
Personal details
Born
James Michael Johnson

(1972-01-30) January 30, 1972 (age 54)
Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Kelly Lary
​
(m. 1999)​
Children5
EducationLouisiana State University (BS, JD)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website
Speaker website
Campaign website
Johnson's voice
Johnson on naming a federal Post Office building after U.S. Representative-elect Luke Letlow
Recorded May 6, 2024

James Michael Johnson (born January 30, 1972) is an American politician and lawyer. Since 2023, he has been serving as the 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Before becoming speaker, he has also been serving as the United States representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district since 2017. Johnson is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life

Johnson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He studied at Louisiana State University to become a lawyer. He then became a lawyer in Benton, Louisiana. In 2015, he became a state representative in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

U.S. Representative

Johnson was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2016. He replaced retiring Representative John Fleming in the 4th district.

He is part of the Republican Party. Johnson chaired the House Republican Study Committee for one term. It is the largest caucus of conservatives in Congress, .

Johnson wants a nationwide abortion ban and an end to legal same-sex marriages.

In December 2020, Johnson supported Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In January 2021, Johnson voted to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania.

Johnson supports (as of 2024) American military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Speaker of the U.S. House

On October 24, 2023, after three votes by the Republican conference, Johnson became the fourth Republican nominee for Speaker of the House in the October 2023 speakership election. He received 128 votes on the third ballot.

Since he has not been a U.S. Representative for a long time, never chaired a full House committee, or served in senior House leadership, Johnson is the least experienced Speaker of the House in terms of service in 140 years. On October 25, 2023, he was elected the 56th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

He is the first speaker in the history of the United States who comes from Louisiana. Johnson has the shortest House membership tenure of any Speaker in 140 years; John Carlisle, elected speaker in 1883, had a shorter House tenure at the time of his election to the speakership.

In January 2026, Johnson became the first U.S. House Speaker to address the British Parliament.

Personal life

Johnson is married to Kelly Lary. They have four children. Johnson used to live in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and in Allen, Collin County, Texas. Johnson said that early in his marriage, that he and his wife adopted a 14-year-old African American boy.

Notes

  1. ↑ Following McCarthy's removal as speaker on October 3, 2023, Patrick McHenry acted as speaker pro tempore until Johnson's election as speaker on October 25, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "J. Michael Johnson - Lawyer in Bossier City, Louisiana (LA) Bossier County - legaldirectories.com". legaldirectories.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-13. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  2. ↑ "State Rep. Johnson to run for 4th Congressional seat". KALB-TV. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  3. ↑ Clarkson, Frederick (2018-01-19). "A Manual to Restore a Christian Nation that Never Was". Political Research Associates.
  4. ↑ Hilburn, Greg (November 16, 2018). "Mike Johnson wins post on GOP launching pad". The Monroe News-Star. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Karni, Annie (2023-10-25). "Who Is Mike Johnson? One of the House's Staunchest Conservatives". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  6. ↑ Ballard, Mark (2023-10-24). "House Republicans tap Mike Johnson of Louisiana as speaker-designate". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  7. ↑ Benen, Steve (2023-10-25). "Desperate GOP turns to election denier in race for House speaker". MSNBC. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  8. ↑ Tamari, Jonathan; Cohen, Zach; Sheehey, Maeve; Zeller, Katherine (2023-10-25). "What to Know About Trump-Backed House Speaker Candidate Mike Johnson". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  9. ↑ Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (January 7, 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results" – via NYTimes.com.
  10. ↑ https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/26/march-or-april-how-zelenskyy-gave-johnson-a-deadline-for-military-aid-00154584. Retrieved 2024-04-27
  11. ↑ "Republicans nominate Mike Johnson for House speaker in latest attempt to break GOP impasse". NBC News. 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  12. ↑ "House Republicans pick Rep. Mike Johnson as their fourth speaker nominee". The Washington Post. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  13. ↑ staff, The Hill (October 25, 2023). "GOP picks Mike Johnson for fourth attempt to end Speaker stalemate: Live coverage".
  14. ↑ Bade, Rachael (2023-10-25). "Take four: Can Mike Johnson get 217?". Politico. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  15. ↑ "Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson elected House Speaker". wwltv.com. October 25, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  16. ↑ "Who is Mike Johnson? Five things to know about the new Republican House speaker". NBC News. October 25, 2023.
  17. ↑ Bade, Rachael (October 25, 2023). "Take four: Can Mike Johnson get 217?". Politico. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  18. ↑ Bressner, Noah (October 25, 2023). "Mike Johnson is the least experienced House speaker in 140 years". Axios.com.
  19. ↑ "Mike Johnson touts unity as he becomes first House speaker to address U.K. Parliament". CBS News. January 20, 2026. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  20. ↑ "James M. Johnson in Benton, Louisiana". intelius.com. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Louisiana congressman Mike Johnson booed in Juneteenth hearing on slave reparations". The Advocate. Retrieved October 25, 2023.

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