The House held its first vote today, Friday, January 3, to elect a speaker. Republicans nominated Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the most recent speaker for the 118th Congress, and Democrats nominated their own minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York. The first vote sits at 216 for Johnson and 215 for Jeffries, leaving Johnson two votes shy of the 218 he needs to have a simple majority of the full House.

Three GOP defectors – Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, and Keith Self of Texas – opposed Johnson’s bid, sinking his first attempt at re-election. Even though the voting has concluded, the vote has not officially been closed, meaning that lawmakers could still change their minds.

Stay tuned to Liberty Nation News for more updates as this story develops.