We’ve thought for years that it was going to ultimately be Steve Scalise, but in less than an hour of this writing it’s entirely possible that Mike Johnson, who represents the 4th Congressional District in northwestern Louisiana, could finally ascend to the Speaker’s chair.

This would be a third-time’s-the-charm scenario for Louisiana to finally produce a House Speaker. Bob Livingston was the first modern Louisiana congressman up for the job; Livingston was the designate to succeed the outgoing Newt Gingrich in 1998, but he pulled himself out of the running when Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt threatened to expose Republican politicians for marital infidelity in retaliation for the attempted impeachment of Bill Clinton. That impeachment wasn’t actually based on Clinton’s sexual peccadilloes but rather his public and under-oath lies about them. It didn’t matter to Flynt, and when word got out that the porn magnate had information about a Livingston affair with a staffer the congressman chose to fall on his sword rather than face the full weight of the scandal.

Livingston ultimately retired from Congress, and he was replaced by David Vitter. Then, when Vitter was elected to the Senate, Livingston’s congressional seat was first filled by Bobby Jindal, and after Jindal’s brief time in Congress and subsequent election as governor in 2007, Scalise was elected.

Scalise has risen all the way to House Majority Leader, and it was thought that when a motion made by Rep. Matt Gaetz to vacate the Speaker’s chair resulted in Kevin McCarthy’s ouster nearly a month ago, it would be Scalise who’d end up Speaker. But Scalise couldn’t get the requisite 216 votes to become Speaker, and we’ve had a standstill in the House ever since.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan couldn’t get to 216, and neither could House Majority Whip Tom Emmer.

But Johnson, who is currently the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, might be in that very small sweet spot in which the more establishment Republicans can feel comfortable with him as can the more raucous Freedom Caucus conservatives. Gaetz endorsed Johnson yesterday, and he also secured support from former president Donald Trump…

Former President Donald Trump is posting his support for GOP speaker nominee Mike Johnson, urging Republicans to “get it done, fast” ahead of a potential House speaker vote later today.

“He’s respected by all and that’s what we need. It looks like it’s going to happen,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday morning. “I put out a truth today on him, and last night, you saw that. He’s spectacular and maybe for many years to come, he’ll be very good. So, we’re very happy about that.”

He later said that Johnson is “popular, smart, sharp. He’s going to be fantastic.”

Trump had posted on Truth Social earlier, the morning after Republicans selected Johnson as their second speaker nominee of the day late Tuesday.

“Congratulations to Congressional Republicans! Yesterday was a big and very important day. It gave us a quick and easy way forward with 5 candidates who are beyond reproach, and represent the absolute best there is in the Republican Party,” he said.

“Even the Fake News Media is impressed with what took place yesterday and, more importantly, with the Candidates themselves. Congratulations to Reps. Byron Donalds (Florida), Charles J. “Chuck” Fleischmann (Tennessee), Mark Green (Tennessee), & Roger Williams (Texas), & the ultimate winner of yesterday’s vote, by a significant margin, Mike Johnson (Louisiana),” he said.

“I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory. In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! LOVE, DJT”

Johnson was a member of Trump’s inner congressional circle during the previous administration, and his influence on the president was an interesting side note given the vast differences between the two men. Johnson is polite, relatively soft-spoken, intellectual and highly principled, while Trump is brazen, volatile and transactional.

Johnson is winning over some of the Freedom Caucus holdouts to other members of the leadership because he has joined them in calling for a return to “regular order,” meaning that the more than 20 years of budgeting by continuing resolution and leadership-driven omnibus bills, rather than the process of passing 12 separate appropriations bills through committees and giving House members an opportunity to read and amend them, might soon end. This was a promise McCarthy made but did not keep; it’s thought Johnson would be much more forceful in holding to it.

We’ll find out whether he gets the chance. The first vote will happen shortly after noon Eastern time, 11:00 a.m. Central.