To many, Rep. Mike Johnson was an unknown when he suddenly appeared on the scene as a contender for House Speaker. He was (and in some circles still is) an enigma.
In truth, I had a suspicion, based on some conversations I’d been having with folks here in Louisiana who know him better than I do, that he was considering throwing his hat into the ring. However, Steve Scalise was in leadership and was a natural successor. Considering both are from the same state and have worked together for years, Johnson wasn’t going to interfere with that. So he instead supported Scalise.
But several people I spoke with knew that Johnson was interested. He is a solid conservative with a stellar voting record, but he wasn’t in the House Freedom Caucus. He had experience working with colleagues on the far right and in the center, and he’s been a regular supporter of Donald Trump all the while. The…
