Congress voted in a new Speaker of the House, little known Republican Mike Johnson from Louisiana, this past Wednesday, October 25. After weeks of clashes between parties after the impeachment of Kevin McCarthy, it looks like the fate of Congress is in the hands of a man who nobody knew of two weeks ago.

Immediately following Kevin McCarthy’s expulsion, Republicans and Democrats alike rushed to try and find an eligible candidate for Speaker of the House. After Representative Gaetz led the way for the impeachment of McCarthy, the Republican party has been split on who to vote into the position. Three different representatives attempted to take the seat but were ultimately shot down in the end. So now we are left with the question, who is Mike Johnson and how did he win the vote?

Mike Johnson is 51 years old, originally hailing from Shreveport Louisiana, where he would serve as a lawyer in his earlier career. Johnson was elected to Congress in 2016, and besides being vice president of the Republican Study Committee, has had no roles of leadership in Congress. Mike Johnson strongly opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, and aid to Ukraine. So how is it exactly that our new Speaker of the House won candidacy? After 22 days of Republicans bouncing from candidate to candidate, it seems like the party was tired of the look it was giving to their constituents. Mike Johnson ended up securing this vote by still being extremely Conservative, yet very mild mannered, which appealed to moderate Republicans and some Democrats. 

It’s hard to tell what the future has in store for Congress and America, but if you feel like you have something to say, say it! Whether it be writing a letter to your local representative or leaving a comment on this story, your voice matters more than you can know in our country, so use it!