Newt Gingrich is a former American politician who served as the 58th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. He was a Republican and represented Georgia's 6th congressional district as a member of the House from 1979 to 1999. Gingrich was also a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He is known for his conservative views and his role in the Republican Revolution of the 1990s.