Trump’s Man Emerges US House Speaker After Initial Showdown
Republican Mike Johnson has won the House speakership on the first ballot, after swaying two members of his conference who initially voted against him.
When the gavel came down after a lengthy vote, Johnson had won 218 votes while Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, had won all 215 votes of his caucus.
One member, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted for fellow House Republican Tom Emmer instead of Johnson.
Two House Republicans who initially cast ballots for other candidates, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas, changed their votes to Johnson after conferring with the speaker off the floor while the vote remained open.
With a speaker elected, House members can now be formally sworn in, allowing the chamber to proceed with usual business.
All Democrats had remained united behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Although Johnson faces no serious challenger, some GOP lawmakers, including Norman, have been seeking commitments on issues like budget cuts before throwing their support behind him.
Earlier this week, Norman signaled he and others were holding out for assurances.
The first order of business for the House—beginning around noon Eastern time—was to elect a speaker before members could be sworn in.
Each representative participated in a roll call vote, with Johnson needing a majority to secure victory.
Ahead of the vote, Johnson made a last-minute appeal to his colleagues, promising fiscal reforms and proposing an independent working group to evaluate government spending.
He also pledged to investigate what he described as “irresponsible or illegal practices” in federal agencies and implement stricter oversight of expenditures.
In a post on X, Johnson committed to advancing “President Trump’s America First agenda,” reducing the size of government, holding federal agencies accountable, and steering the country toward fiscal sustainability.
With a slim 219-215 Republican majority in the House, Johnson faced a narrow path to victory. Assuming all 434 members voted (with one vacancy), he needed 218 votes to win.
However, Massie’s opposition left Johnson with precisely 218 possible Republican votes—the bare minimum required.
Any additional defection would force multiple rounds of voting, echoing the chaotic January 2023 speaker election.
Members have the option to vote “present” instead of naming a candidate, which lowers the threshold for a majority by reducing the total number of votes cast.
Johnson’s team has been scrambling to secure support, including last-minute negotiations with various GOP factions. Reports suggested Johnson even traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with former President Trump.
Johnson’s challenges stem partly from his recent compromises. Earlier in the year, he supported billions in aid to Ukraine and made concessions on short-term government spending, which angered some conservatives.
Lawmakers like Victoria Spartz have demanded firm commitments to budget cuts to align with Trump’s agenda.
“If Speaker Johnson wants to lead, he must present a plan and stick to it—unlike what he did last year,” Spartz said on Fox News, adding, “I’m open to giving him a chance, but I need to hear how he plans to deliver this agenda.”
With Johnson failing to secure a majority in the first round, the House remains in limbo, unable to conduct any other business until a speaker is elected.
The speaker election in January 2023 required 15 rounds of voting before Kevin McCarthy was confirmed.
Johnson, who emerged as a compromise candidate after McCarthy’s historic ouster in October, now faces the challenge of uniting his fractured party to avoid a repeat of that drawn-out process.
