Rep. Bill Johnson’s Resignation Lowers Republican Majority to Two
Johnson’s seat will likely stay Republican, but until it is filled, the GOP has a tiny majority.
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) will resign on January 21 to become Youngstown State University’s president.
Johnson planned to resign in March.
The House has 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
The three vacancies belong to Republicans: Kevin McCarthy, George Santos, and Johnson.
The small majority could cause gridlock. From The Hill:
Part of government funding is set to expire Jan. 19, and Johnson’s resignation will come before the second Feb. 2 deadline.
An upcoming special election and another expected resignation will further affect the exact House GOP majority number.
A special election to replace Santos is set for Feb. 13. Election analysts at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the special election as a “toss-up.” Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D), who previously represented the district, is facing Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip, a Nassau County Legislator.
Johnson lashed out at elites in his resignation letter:
In his resignation letter sent to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Johnson described the residents of his district as “proud and patriotic,” but disregarded by America’s “elites.”
“These blue-collar communities, like countless others in ‘flyover county’ were critical in building our great nation and will play a pivotal role in America’s future. I am extremely humbled to have been repeatedly elected to serve them,” Johnson said.
Santos’s seat is a toss-up. Johnson’s seat is considered safe Republican. McCarthy’s seat is also a Republican stronghold.
Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) will resign in February, giving Republicans some breathing room.
Higgins is tired of the pace in D.C.:
“I’ve always been a little impatient, and that trait has helped us deliver remarkable progress for this community,” Higgins said in a statement. “But the pace in Washington, D.C. can be slow and frustrating, especially this year.”
“Therefore, after thoughtful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to leave Congress and explore other ways I can build up and serve Buffalo and Western New York,” he continued.
Higgins’ 26th district has voted Democrat in races since he took office in 2013. I’m guessing it will stay Democrat, but you never know!
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Comments
Way to go GOP. Hard to top the strategic stupidity of 2023. Remove one of your own before he’s convicted and simultaneously put your majority in jeopardy and set a bad precedent for the future. I’m trying to think of more stupid for you to do but thinking stupid on this level is painful. Like eating ice cream too fast.
Thank McCarthy for orchestrating it and then bragging on the liberal networks about how this set a ‘precedent’ that meant Gaetz was in trouble.
This was all McCarthy’s petty backstabbing BS and trying to ‘get even’ with Gaetz.
Seems like even the RINOs had issue with his crap, because just a couple weeks later McCarthy suddenly resigned.
Gaetz is the problem.
Johnson is a “real patriot” isn’t he?
Implying perhaps that the brains of too many republican leaders in the US House are frozen? Sure! Some are even calcified.
The Senators are no better.
Good thing they fired McCarthy. The Dems wouldn’t have gotten anything done last fall without Mike Johnson to grease the skids. Funny how all of those beating the drum to dump McCarthy have gotten so quiet.
Your special
You’re wrong about pretty much everything.
Wow, because it’s not like McCarthy hasn’t always given the Communists exactly what they want, is it?
Both of the CRs he put forward (one written by a FC member) were far more conservative than anything Johnson has done (He lost 8 GOP votes on his CRs and was fired for it – Johnson lost nearly 100). So was everything else he did, which I’d imagine is one reason that this board has been so quiet about Johnson.
McCarthy is one ‘Republican’ that we are better off to have him outside the tent pissing in then inside the tent in ANY capacity. He has shown us the stuff of which he is made and I don’t think I’m alone if not liking it one bit.
Then you all should stop bitching because he quit.
So many on here – including me – take Jews, b/Blacks, Asians and Hispanics to task for voting Democrat.
Tell me again why conservatives can’t build a party that supports their interests but instead vote for the country club crowd? And please don’t tell me that if we have sufficient numbers that we still can’t build a new political party. We can.
Yes, The American Party,
Been
Saying it since
2015
That is a feature of the system. Strong independent people are generally not going to get very far ahead of people who are party appointments.
Sad but true and true of every political system around the world.
Ayn Rand already explained this conclusively. When a bunch of Objectivists informed her they were founding a Libertarian political party based on Objectivist ideals, she told them it was the stupidest idea ever. The desire to live virtuously free and the desire to rule over others are diametrically opposed. The essence of government is the exercise of force over others, there is no other defining principle. Once a government has been created, even by virtuous men, it cannot help but be overrun by psychopaths, because psychopaths are willing to commit more extreme depravities to gain power over others.
There is a vast chasm between being a Republican versus being a member of the GOP. The GOP used to be the natural home for Republicans, but that vision has been fading since Nixon, and is nearly dissolved now. There are precious few Republicans in the GOP anymore.
WhyTF are they (except Santos I suppose) leaving now instead of staying on to do what they were elected to do until their terms expire? It’s not as if they’ve got several years left on their terms or anything.
I guess with Higgins we have our answer: he never mastered the skill of patience.
Johnson is resigning to become a college president, those type jobs don’t open up every two years. In an odd form of irony Jackson-Lee ran for mayor of Houston and lost, therefore keeping her house seat. Had she won she would have resigned offsetting a repub loss.
That’s not likely the reason, especially if they really want him to be their Dear Leader.
I’m not sure because your comment is a little unclear, but I think you’re confusing Bill with Mike.
To hurt Republicans and MAGA
They never cared about America
It’ll never happen, but there should be a law these scum have to pay back every dime of all their campaign contributors for failing to fulfill their promises.
You’re asking for politicians to vote against their best interests here 🤔
More like there should be a law against taking ANY paying job or contract until their elected term is up – whether they actually served it out or not.
It seems like screw the voters, I have a better deal.
Rings can’t give the government away fast enough
???
Unless he had a major health/family issue, or is convicted of a crime, I would expect my elected representative to fill out his term.
You can always count on Republicans to concede to the Left. I suppose there are many additional “Epstein'”s around gathering evidence that can be used for blackmail.
I think it is becoming obvious that the Republican party is the “Other” or “Alternative” party. By that I mean it appeals to people who are not avid or patriotic supporters of our Constitution. They are the go-along to get-along crowd that does not have the evil fire in them to become Democrats. In other words, it is the catch-all for the people who want to belong to an actual party but do not have any real convictions as to why. This cowardly bastard retiring before the end of his term is just that, cowardly! He knows what his leaving will do to any Republican effort but he doesn’t care. His feelings come first and the country and the people next. This is what the Republican party is made of!
If they REALLY wanters him for president, they wold have waited. Follow the money, follow the donors to the school…. was there a sudden influx of money? What is the make up of the selection committee? Remember, this is “higher education” and full of party faithful even if covert
Interesting how too many people think they know why Bill Johnson is doing this.
It’s not a Republican majority of two: it’s a GOP majority of two. There aren’t many Republicans in the GOP anymore.