US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, gavels within the first session of the 119th Congress, within the House Chamber on the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 3, 2025.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was re-elected as speaker of the House of Representatives on the primary poll Friday after two of his fellow Republicans who initially voted for another person switched to him.
Johnson defeated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who was nominated by his fellow Democrats.
Earlier Friday, President-elect Donald Trump once more referred to as on the GOP caucus to maintain Johnson within the speaker’s chair. The Louisiana lawmaker’s first time period as speaker formally ended with the tip of the previous Congress, at 11 a.m. ET.
With all 434 House members displaying up for the vote, Johnson wanted almost each Republican to vote for him to develop into speaker.
“Good luck at this time for Speaker Mike Johnson, a superb man of nice potential, who could be very near having 100% help,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social publish.
“A win for Mike at this time will likely be a giant win for the Republican Party, and yet one more acknowledgment of our 129 yr most consequential Presidential Election!!” Trump wrote. “A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”
Republicans have 219 seats within the new Congress. Democrats maintain 215 seats.
Johnson was first elected speaker on Oct. 25, 2023, three weeks after then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, was ousted from that slot when a handful of Republican members joined each Democrat to vote for his removing.
Johnson was the fourth nominee thought of to switch McCarthy.
McCarthy had solely been speaker himself for 9 months when he was eliminated — he was first elected speaker in January 2023 after 4 days of voting and 15 ballots.
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