WASHINGTON ― Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) is hoping for a smooth reelection to his house speaker post when the new Congress kicks off on Friday.
He’s got President-elect Donald Trump’s support, which is the biggest endorsement he could get, and there aren’t any other Republicans publicly vying for his job.
But there could be some real drama.
The House is about to have the most narrowly divided majority in nearly a century, with Republicans holding 220 seats and Democrats holding 215. Assuming all Democrats vote for their own party leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), to be speaker, that means Johnson can lose only two GOP votes and still become speaker. At least three Republicans have suggested they aren’t committed to backing Johnson: Chip Roy (Texas), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Victoria Spartz (Ind.).
There could be other House Republicans quietly holding out on Johnson, too. And fresh on everyone’s mind is how badly the GOP bungled its last speaker elections: They put then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) through 14 failed votes and days of public humiliation before giving him the post in January 2023. Ten months later, they ejected him and left the chamber without a speaker ― and unable to conduct business ― for weeks until finally settling on Johnson. McCarthy resigned from Congress two months later.
Read the latest updates on the House speaker election below:
President-elect Donald Trump wished Johnson good luck in a post on Truth Social Friday morning, saying "a win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party."
WASHINGTON ― When it meets for the first session of a new Congress on Friday, the House of Representatives has to elect a speaker before it can do anything else.
It’s not clear whether Republicans are up to the task.
Read more here.
