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Congressman Mike Johnson was elected as the 56th Speaker of the House on Wednesday, Oct. 25, the United States House of Representatives announced. He replaced Kevin McCarthy who was the first Speaker of the House voted out of his office by representatives – a move initiated by hard-right conservatives. 

Johnson, of Louisiana, is a “good friend” of Representative Greg Murphy, M.D. who represents North Carolina’s third congressional district which includes Beaufort County. 

Murphy took to posting on social media congratulating Johnson on the announcement. 

“After much deliberation among the House of Republican Conference, we unified on an exceptional leader who will aggressively carry our pro-American and economically responsible agenda forward,” Murphy wrote. 

“Additionally, I conveyed the importance of electing an individual who understands the challenges Americans face with access to affordable, high-quality health care,” Murphy continued, “Speaker Johnson’s conservative credentials are second to none, and I look forward to his leadership and vision for our country.” 

Prior to being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016, Johnson was an attorney who served in the Louisiana State Legislature from 2015 to 2017.