In a significant turn of events, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana has been elected as the new speaker of the House of Representatives, succeeding Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from his role over three weeks ago. Fox News reports that Johnson secured the speakership with a vote tally of 220 to 209 during a full vote on the House floor on Wednesday afternoon.

Johnson's election as speaker comes after weeks of closed-door negotiations within the House Republican Conference. The conference initially voted to select House Majority Leader Steve Scalise as their nominee, but he later withdrew. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan was then selected, but the conference voted to remove him after he failed to secure enough votes.

House Republicans considered empowering Speaker Pro-tempore Patrick McHenry, but the effort ultimately failed. Finally, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer was nominated as the conference's choice for speaker, but he dropped out of the race following criticism from former President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.

Amidst the uncertainty, Johnson emerged as the consensus choice among House Republicans. Although Trump did not formally endorse any candidate, he "strongly" urged House Republicans to vote for Johnson on the floor.

Mike Johnson, who has been in politics since 2015 when he was elected to the state House, is a second-term congressman who previously served as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. He is known for his support of former President Trump and his defense of him during the House impeachment hearings.

In addition to his political career, Johnson worked as a lawyer and was the senior spokesperson for the conservative Christian legal advocacy group "Alliance Defending Freedom." He also gained attention for filing an amicus brief supporting Texas litigation seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in several swing states.

The election of Mike Johnson as House speaker marks the end of the second-longest period in history that the House has gone without a speaker. McCarthy's ouster came after Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced a measure known as a motion to vacate, accusing him of breaking promises made to win the speaker's gavel in January.

With Johnson now leading the House, his next challenge will be to unite Republicans and navigate the challenging political landscape in Washington, D.C. As the first order of business, he will have to tackle key issues such as infrastructure, budget negotiations, and contentious debates on immigration and voting rights.

The election of Johnson as speaker brings a fresh start for the House of Representatives, and the coming weeks and months will reveal how he will shape the legislative agenda and steer the chamber.