Behind Mike Johnson's shocking rise to power

BENTON – When Mike Johnson first ascended to become U.S. House speaker, his profile was so low that senators and foreign dignitaries had to turn to Google to figure out who he was.

A year later, however, Johnson has grown into much more of the public figure the speaker is expected to be. The Louisiana congressman makes the rounds of

Sunday political talk shows and is quoted regularly by the country’s biggest news outlets. Elite magazines published lengthy profiles on him last spring.