Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana has been reelected as Speaker of the House of Representatives after a dramatic voting session marked by key vote reversals among his GOP colleagues. Johnson secured the position on the first ballot, defeating Democratic nominee Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
Johnson clinched the required 218 votes after Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas switched their support to him. The two had initially cast their votes for other Republican candidates but changed their positions following discussions with Johnson near the House floor.
Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky was the only Republican who voted for another candidate, casting his ballot for Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota. Neither Emmer nor the other GOP members initially voted for—Jim Jordan of Ohio and Byron Donalds of Florida—had sought the speaker's role. Jeffries received all 215 votes from the Democratic caucus.
Following his victory, Johnson presided over the first session of the 119th Congress and called for a moment of silence to honor victims of the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans.
President-elect Donald Trump, a vocal supporter of Johnson’s candidacy, took to social media to commend the Louisiana congressman on his reelection. “Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary,” Trump wrote, emphasizing the return of “common sense, strength, and leadership” to Congress.
Johnson was first elected as Speaker on October 25, 2023, after weeks of Republican infighting that followed the ousting of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy’s nine-month tenure ended when a small group of Republicans joined Democrats to remove him from the role. Johnson became the fourth GOP nominee to be considered as McCarthy’s replacement.
This reelection solidifies Johnson’s position as a central figure in the Republican-led House, with his leadership expected to shape the chamber’s legislative priorities moving forward.