WASHINGTON ― Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) is hoping for a smooth reelection to his house speaker post when the new Congress kicks off on Friday.
He’s got President-elect Donald Trump’s support, which is the biggest endorsement he could get, and there aren’t any other Republicans publicly vying for his job.
But there could be some real drama.
The House is about to have the most narrowly divided majority in nearly a century, with Republicans holding 220 seats and Democrats holding 215. Assuming all Democrats vote for their own party leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), to be speaker, that means Johnson can lose only two GOP votes and still become speaker. At least three Republicans have suggested they aren’t committed to backing Johnson: Chip Roy (Texas), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Victoria Spartz (Ind.).
There could be other House Republicans quietly holding out on Johnson, too. And fresh on everyone’s mind is how badly the GOP bungled its last speaker elections: They put then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) through 14 failed votes and days of public humiliation before giving him the post in January 2023. Ten months later, they ejected him and left the chamber without a speaker ― and unable to conduct business ― for weeks until finally settling on Johnson. McCarthy resigned from Congress two months later.
Read the latest updates on the House speaker election below:
Marjorie Taylor Greene Now Backs Mike Johnson For Speaker
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) says she’ll vote to reelect Johnson as speaker, despite unsuccessfully trying to throw him out of his leadership post last year.
“All of you at home, and myself included, are ready for the drama to end,” Greene said in a video posted on social media on Thursday night.
“I’ll be voting for Mike Johnson,” she added.
It’s quite a turnaround for Greene, who last year ripped Johnson as “the Uniparty Speaker” and said he “is exactly what is wrong with the Republican establishment.” In May, she spearheaded an effort to oust Johnson. But Democrats joined with other Republicans to keep him in his top spot.
So what changed between May and now? One thing: Donald Trump is about to become the president again, and he supports Johnson keeping his seat. Greene does not want to anger Trump, who controls the GOP like a mad puppeteer.
“On Monday, we’re going to certify the most historic election in our nation’s history when we certify Donald John Trump’s election as 47th president of the United States,” Greene crowed.
(Trump’s reelection is not the most historic election in American history.)
Trump Wishes Mike Johnson Good Luck
Trump wished Johnson good luck in a post on Truth Social Friday morning, saying “a win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party.”
Mike Johnson’s Fate Uncertain As House Speaker Vote Looms
WASHINGTON ― When it meets for the first session of a new Congress on Friday, the House of Representatives has to elect a speaker before it can do anything else.
It’s not clear whether Republicans are up to the task.
Read more here.