Johnson, Mike

Mike Johnson represents Louisiana's 4th congressional district and has served in the House since 2017, currently in his fifth term. Before his election to Congress, Johnson worked as a constitutional attorney, spending eight years with the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy organization. He also founded Freedom Guard, a nonprofit law firm specializing in religious liberty litigation, and served on the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2004 to 2012. His legal career centered on defending religious freedom, traditional marriage, and what he describes as biblical values.

Johnson's legislative priorities reflect his legal background and social conservative beliefs. He has sponsored 22 bills addressing diverse topics including border security, drug overdose prevention, and court procedures. Notably, he contested the results of the 2020 presidential election both on the House floor and through legal challenges, and he has supported legislation to ban abortion nationwide.

Within the Republican Party, Johnson has held significant leadership roles. He chaired the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in Congress, from 2019 to 2021, and served as vice chair of the House Republican Conference from 2021 to 2023. On October 25, 2023, following Kevin McCarthy's removal as speaker, Johnson was elected to the position. He was narrowly reelected to a full term as speaker in 2025, making him the 56th speaker of the House.