FILE – Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., holds up an article while questioning Attorney General William Barr during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the oversight of the Department of Justice on Capitol Hill, July 28, 2020 in Washington. Johnson, the new leader of one of the houses of Congress that will certify the winner of next year’s presidential election helped spearhead the attempt to overturn the last one. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP, File)

The new speaker of the U.S. House had a key role in trying to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win. Republican Rep. Mike Johnson spearheaded a legal brief in support of an unsuccessful lawsuit trying to overturn the results. He repeated baseless conspiracy theories about the election and voted against certifying its outcome after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. His role is significant because he is now second in the line of presidential succession and because the House in January 2025 will have a key role in certifying the winner of next year’s presidential election.