Washington — Republican Mike Johnson was reelected to the House speakership on the first ballot Friday, defeating GOP hard-right holdouts and buoyed by President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement.
On the first day of the new Congress, a group of hardline Republicans gathered in the back of the House chamber during a tense roll call, each declining to vote or choosing another lawmaker. The standoff sparked new turmoil, indicating trouble ahead under unified GOP control of Washington.
In the end, Johnson was able to persuade two remaining holdouts to support him, drawing applause from Republicans.
As the most recent speaker, Johnson’s tenuous grip on the gavel jeopardizes not only his own survival, but also President-elect Trump’s ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans sweep to power.
Newly elected House members began voting as Johnson’s name was proposed for nomination by GOP Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich.
“No speaker’s perfect,” she said. However, the goal is to make progress toward shared national priorities, she explained. “None of us will get exactly what we want.”
Democrats presented their own leader, New York’s Hakeem Jeffries, as the only one with a track record of compromise and achievement in the face of “chaos and dysfunction” under the Republican majority.
“House Democrats are united behind the most powerful legislative leader in this chamber,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., of Jeffries, recalling how many times their votes helped Johnson pass important legislation.
Despite opposition from his own Republican colleagues, Johnson arrived with outward confidence after working through the night to persuade hardline holdouts.
Johnson’s failure could disrupt Monday’s congressional certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory, as the House lacks a speaker. Even Trump’s endorsement, which is usually a sure bet for Republicans, was no guarantee Johnson would remain in power.
“We don’t have time for drama,” Johnson remarked as he entered the Capitol.
Trump reiterated his support for the Louisiana Republican. “A victory for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media.
What was once a ceremonial day with newly elected lawmakers arriving to be sworn in, often accompanied by family, friends, and children, has evolved into a high-stakes vote for House Speaker, one of Washington’s most powerful elected positions. Vice President Kamala Harris was swearing in the senators.
While the Senate can convene on its own and has already elected party leaders — Sen. John Thune as Republican majority leader and Sen.
Chuck Schumer as Democratic minority leader — the House must first elect a speaker, a position required by the Constitution and second in line of succession to the president.
Congress has been here before, when Republicans needed nearly a week and 15 rounds of voting to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker in 2023, a spectacle unprecedented in modern times. McCarthy was then dumped by his party, a historic first, but he was also one of many GOP speakers forced to leave early.
The stakes are higher this year as Trump prepares to return to the White House with the House and Senate under Republican control, promising to deliver big on a 100-day agenda.
Johnson has worked hard to avoid defeat, spending New Year’s Day at Mar-a-Lago to position himself alongside Trump. The speaker frequently portrays himself as the “quarterback” who will carry out the political plays instructed by the “coach,” the president-elect.
However, Johnson warned that without a House speaker, there would be a “constitutional crisis” leading up to January 6, when Congress is required by law to count the electoral votes for president, weeks before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
“We don’t have any time to waste, and I think that everybody recognizes that,” he told me.
Johnson has one of the narrowest majorities in modern history, having lost seats in the November election. With the unexpected resignation of Rep.
Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, the tally fell to 219-215. That leaves Johnson relying on almost every Republican for support in the face of Democratic opposition, though the typical 218 majority of 435 members required may shift due to absences and others voting only “present.”
He lacked the necessary support prior to Friday.
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, an outspoken member of the Freedom Caucus, was among the most notable holdouts, criticizing Republican leadership’s handling of the year-end spending bill for failing to cut spending and follow House rules.
“Something must change,” Roy wrote on social media. He ultimately voted for Johnson.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted for a different GOP Leader, as did other far-right Republicans, including those who helped bring McCarthy down.
It’s unclear what other concessions Johnson can make to gain support. McCarthy gave out prime favors two years ago, which appeared to only weaken his grip on power.
Johnson has already reversed one of those changes, enacting a new House rule pushed by centrist conservatives that would require at least nine members of the majority party to vote on any resolution to remove the speaker, up from one under McCarthy.
“I think the holdouts are going to have to realize that, listen, Trump is right all the time,” said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, as he left the speaker’s office late Thursday night. “Just know that Trump is right all the time, it’ll help you make a decision real simple.”
In many ways, Johnson has no choice but to endure political hazing from his colleagues, who remind him who has the upper hand in their lopsided relationship. He was a last-ditch candidate for the position, rising from the back bench after other leaders failed following McCarthy’s removal.
Democrats under Jeffries are not expected to help save Johnson, as they have done in the past when he was under threat of removal.
The speaker’s election is expected to dominate the start of the new Congress, which also includes a roster of history-making members, as the Senate prepares to begin hearings on Trump’s nominees for top Cabinet and administrative positions.
In the Senate, two Black women, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, were sworn in, both dressed in suffragettes’ white suits, marking the first time in the nation’s history that two Black women senators will serve concurrently.
Sen.-elect Andy Kim of New Jersey is also making history by becoming the first Korean American to join the chamber.
Sarah McBride is the first openly transgender Congresswoman.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who recently suffered a fall overseas and had hip replacement surgery, will also return to Washington, a reminder of the power she wielded when Democrats held the majority.
