After Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed to get enough votes to become the next Speaker of the House, his colleague Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) said he hoped today’s the day (October 24, the 22nd day the House has gone without a Speaker) that Republicans can agree on the next candidate.
When asked directly who he voted for among the eight current contenders in the conference meeting, Johnson said: “Uh, it’s a secret ballot.” He laughed, “So, I’m gonna, I’m still gonna keep my powder dry until I go into the room this morning.”
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) weighs in on the upcoming House Speaker race and the latest candidates on the ballot pic.twitter.com/wFv0pSbCLJ
— Mornings with Maria (@MorningsMaria) October 24, 2023
Johnson added: “There are some qualified candidates in there and I’m lookin at several of them.”
The eight candidates are: Reps. Jack Bergman (MI), Byron Donalds (FL), Tom Emmer (MN), Kevin Hern (OK), Mike Johnson (LA), Gary Palmer (AL), Austin Scott (GA), and Pete Sessions (TX).
Note: Johnson often seeks to use the power of silence in the House. On December 18, 2019, Johnson held a moment of silence to remember Trump voters during House debates on articles of impeachment, saying:
“This is a sad day for America. This partisan impeachment sham seeks to disenfranchise 63 million American voters… So I want to use my time to call on this chamber, for members to rise and observe a moment of silent reflection, to give every member here the chance to pause for a moment and remember the voices of the 63 million American voters the Democrats today are wanting to silence.”
Johnson voted for Steve Scalise (against Trump’s endorsement) and Jordan (who had Trump’s endorsement) in the earlier rounds.
