The House voted Friday to reelect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., after multiple Republicans initially did not cast a vote for him in what became a tight contest spurred by pushback from a small, but influential group of Republicans against the speaker, leading to President-elect Donald Trump getting involved in discussions.
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Key Facts
The House voted 218-215 to reelect Johnson as the speaker of the House, with one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voting against him, though eight other Republicans either voted against Johnson or withheld their support in an initial roll call vote.
Johnson appeared slated to lose on the first ballot after the roll call vote, since he could only afford one Republican voting against him with all Democrats supporting Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
The vote was kept open, however, as Johnson retreated to a private area of the chamber to apparently negotiate with the holdouts, who—with the exception of Massie—then changed their votes to support Johnson.
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What Republicans Opposed Johnson?
Massie, who had publicly disclosed his opposition against Johnson this week, voted against Johnson alongside Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, who later switched their votes. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, did not cast a vote on the first ballot when their names were called.
What We Don’t Know
What factors influenced Norman and Self to change their votes in favor of Johnson, who could be seen negotiating before the vote was called. Trump spoke to Norman and Self before they changed their votes, according to multiple outlets, though the specifics of the conversations between the president-elect and the congressman are unclear. Trump endorsed Johnson early in the week, saying “he’s the one that can win right now.”
Crucial Quote
“Congratulations to Speaker Mike Johnson for receiving an unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress,” Trump said in a Truth Social post after the drawn out vote. “The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership. They’ll get it now, and America will be greater than ever before!”
Key Background
The 119th Congress started Friday at noon, though a vote for Johnson’s reelection or a new speaker had to be completed before members of the new Congress could be sworn into office. The election of a House speaker had largely been seen as a rubber stamp action in modern times, though former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., needed 15 rounds of voting held over multiple days to win his speakership in 2023, prior to his historic ousting later that year, ushering in Johnson’s speakership. In addition to Trump’s endorsement, Johnson captured another endorsement from Tesla chief and Trump ally Elon Musk.
Further Reading
Mike Johnson Is The Least Wealthy House Speaker This Century (Forbes)
House Saves Mike Johnson’s Speakership In Overwhelming Bipartisan Vote (Forbes)
