After the House of Representatives took the unprecedented step on Oct. 3, 2023 of removing its own speaker, Kevin McCarthy of California, with eight Republicans joining all 208 voting Democrats to “vacate the chair,” what followed was weeks of uncertainty.
Until conservative Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House on Oct. 25, 2023 no candidate had been able to secure the necessary number of Republicans to win a vote on the House floor.