Mike Johnson Scrapes Speakership Win After Republicans Change Votes [View all]
Source: Rolling Stone
January 3, 2025
The House Republican caucus kicked off the 119th U.S. Congress with what is becoming a regular source of drama: a contentious speaker election.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) barely won reelection as House Speaker in the first ballot cast by representatives to determine who will lead the lower chamber in the next congressional cycle. The House GOP’s first attempt to elect a leader was almost foiled by defecting votes by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), and Keith Self (R-Texas), who voted for Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Bryon Donalds (R-Fla.), respectively.
But during an extended delay in which the House clerk held open the vote — and during which Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer conceded that he expected a second ballot — GOP leadership scrambled to flip two of their holdouts. They ultimately succeeded by convincing Norman and Self to vote for Johnson.
Ahead of the vote, Johnson faced a paper-thin margin to secure his reelection, any two no-votes (or one no and two abstentions) would tank the ballot.
Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/mike-johnson-house-speaker-vote-1235224706/
Article updated.
Original article/headline -
January 3, 2025
The House Republican caucus kicked off the 119th U.S. Congress with what is becoming a regular source of drama: a contentious speaker election.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) failed to win reelection as House Speaker in the first ballot cast by representatives to determine who will lead the lower chamber in the next congressional cycle. The incoming Republican majorities first attempts to elect an speaker were foiled by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), and Keith Self (R-Texas), who voted for Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Bryon Donalds (R-Fla.), respectively.
Ahead of the vote, Johnson faced a paper-thin margin to secure his reelection, any two no-votes (or one no and two abstentions) would tank the ballot.
Massie publicly insisted he was voting "no" on Johnson ahead of the first ballot, while several Republicans would not commit to voting for him. A larger contingent of GOP members have been publicly critical of Johnson over the course of his 14-month tenure in the position.
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