Speaker Mike Johnson is the face of GOP leadership. But another man with the same last name is quietly helping shape a legislative agenda to power Republicans through the election and beyond.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, South Dakota’s sole House member, is far from a household name. He’s known around Capitol Hill for his unabashed nerdiness, rattling off facts about crypto and cattle markets with ease. And he’s been a fixture in the speaker’s office from Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) tumultuous short tenure to Speaker Johnson’s (R-La.) rise.
“You don’t see him on TV every day,” said Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), a ...