US House re-elects Mike Johnson as Speaker

The United States House of Representatives has re-elected Mike Johnson as Speaker, allowing him to retain his position at the chamber’s helm.

Mr Johnson, a Republican, was re-elected on Friday by a narrow margin, underscoring potential divisions among President-elect Donald Trump’s Republicans.

He had initially lost the first round of the election after his vote tally came short.

House Republicans hold a narrow majority in the new 119th Congress, with 219 Republicans, 215 Democrats, and one vacancy.

Each House member was expected to vote along party lines, selecting either Mr Johnson or the Democratic candidate, Hakeem Jeffries, based on their party affiliation. The majority-party candidate was expected to secure the speakership easily.

However, three Republicans disrupted the process by withholding their support for Mr Johnson and casting votes for other lawmakers to prevent him from achieving more than 50 per cent of the votes.

However, the vote wasn’t formally closed after each member voted, allowing Mr Johnson to negotiate.

Usually, the US House of Representatives Speaker election can require multiple rounds of voting if no candidate secures a majority in the first round. In a deadlock, the House will continue voting until a candidate reaches the necessary majority.

However, Mr Johnsom’s long-shot plan paid off, enabling him to break the deadlock and avoid a second round of voting.

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Two Republicans changed votes

The Louisiana Republican secured the speakership with 218 votes out of a total of 435 votes after two of the three holdouts switched their votes.

The two Republicans are Ralph Norman, representative of South Carolina, and Keith Self, Texas Representative.

According to Mr Self, he had a change of heart after a “lively” discussion with Mr Trump, during which he secured a promise that the party’s right-wing would be included in efforts to shape key tax and immigration bills.

We needed more input from members like myself— not a chairman, not a leadership position – and I think that’s what we have done,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

A total of 215 votes, all from Democrats, were cast for minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. Meanwhile, the third Republican, Thomas Massie, who had vowed not to support Mr Johnson, instead cast his vote for fellow Republican Tom Emmer.

After the election, Mr Johnson vowed to extend Mr Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire this year, and roll back regulations.

“We’re going to drastically cut back the size and scope of government,” he said.

Mr Johnson was first appointed as speaker in October 2023, following the ousting of former speaker Kevin McCarthy. He was appointed after several rounds of voting, with the House members unable to make a unified decision.

Trump’s endorsement

The speakership vote took place on the opening day of the 119th Congress, weeks after the general election in November.

A number of Republicans were present to support Mr Johnson, including Mr Trump, who had earlier endorsed him. 

“Good luck today to Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100 per cent support,” Mr Trump said.

The vote for Mr Johnson also put Mr Trump’s ability to rally Republicans support under scrutiny, given that he had urged the party to back Mr Johnson as he prepares to push an ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations when he assumes office on January 20.

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It is also considered to have highlighted the narrow margin of control Republicans hold in the House. With only 219 seats, the vote of every member is required to secure a majority in any party-line vote.

Mr Trump has congratulated the speaker on his reelection.

According to him, the Louisiana Republican got an “unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress.”

“Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary,” Trump wrote in his post. “The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership. They’ll get it now,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media network.