The Louisiana Republican has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump.
Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson has officially been elected as House speaker, ending the 22-day stalemate at last. Naturally, you might have some questions about the guy who’s now second in line for the presidency — and if you haven’t heard of him, you’re probably not alone.
First elected to Congress in 2016, Johnson has kept a relatively low profile, steadily rising through the ranks as chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee, and now, the vice chair of the House Republican Conference. He also holds several other influential positions, serving on the Judiciary Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and the newly created select committee on “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”
Even though Johnson has largely flown under the radar, he’s considered a controversial figure, thanks to his key role in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his vocal opposition to LGBTQ rights and gay marriage.
As Johnson takes on his high-profile new role, here’s a look at what we know about him.
Johnson was a major player in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election
Johnson was the central architect behind Trump’s decision to challenge the election results in 2020. When Texas filed a lawsuit that year to invalidate electoral college votes from Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona, Johnson circulated an amicus brief to get the Supreme Court to throw the election out, and 125 of his fellow Republicans signed on to it. His central argument in the brief was that certain states’ changes to their voting procedures to expand vote-by-mail during the Covid-19 pandemic were unconstitutional.
Given his involvement in Trump’s efforts to reverse his loss, it’s probably no surprise that Johnson was also one of the 147 Republicans who voted against certifying the election. After President Joe Biden was declared the winner, Johnson took to X (then known as Twitter) to say, “I have just called President Trump to say this: ‘Stay strong and keep fighting, sir!’” (Trump and Johnson remain tight, with the former president backing his speakership nomination.)
But more recently, Johnson declined to respond to a question about his role in leading these election objections. Asked about the issue following his nomination for the speakership on Tuesday, his Republican colleagues booed and jeered at ABC News reporter Rachel Scott for even asking about it. “Next question,” Johnson said.
Does Trump like Mike Johnson?
You’ve probably already seen many headlines identifying Johnson as a “Trump ally,” which makes sense given what we just told you about the 2020 election.
The former president gave the thumbs-up to Johnson’s nomination for the speakership in a post to Truth Social on Wednesday. Though he said he wouldn’t officially endorse any candidate, given his relationships with many of the contenders, he added, “My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! LOVE, DJT.”
What are Mike Johnson’s policies?
Johnson’s legislative history earns him high ratings among action groups that advocate for right-leaning policies. He scored 92 percent from the American Conservative Union and 90 percent from Heritage Action.
This ideology has certainly been reflected in his voting record. During Biden’s first two years in office, Johnson voted against a slew of bipartisan bills, including efforts to establish a Jan. 6 independent commission and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which would protect domestic abuse survivors, among others.
But he did vote in favor of the debt limit law that was negotiated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden, before later opposing the stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown on Oct. 1. Since then, he has proposed another short-term funding bill that includes options to keep the government running through either Jan. 15 or April 15, 2024, “based on what can obtain conference consensus.”
Johnson’s opposed to abortion and LGBTQ rights
In line with his conservative voting record, he’s against LGBTQ+ and abortion rights – in fact, that’s how he got his start before coming to Congress.
He previously worked as a lawyer for the Alliance Defending Freedom, where he fought to shut down abortion clinics and defended Louisiana’s defunct gay marriage ban. Since becoming a congressman, he opposed the historic Respect for Marriage Act to cement same-sex marriage, which Biden signed into law in 2022.
Does Mike Johnson have children?
Johnson married his wife, Kelly, in 1999. Since we just discussed his history on marriage legislation, it’s also worth noting his personal views on the subject: When he wed in 1999, he and his wife entered into a “covenant” marriage, an agreement that requires counseling before a divorce can move forward.
The couple shares four children, Hannah, Abigail, Will and Jack. Johnson’s very first post on his Instagram account captures the entire family at his swearing-in ceremony in 2017.
