Mike Johnson re-elected as House Speaker
US House Speaker officially re-elected as speaker by a 218-215 majority, securing the majority after Reps. Keith Self (R-TX) and Ralph Norman (R-SC) change their votes to back him.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was officially re-elected as speaker on Friday, winning the vote by a 218-215 margin.
Johnson initially lost the vote, but was able to secure the majority after Reps. Keith Self (R-TX) and Ralph Norman (R-SC), who voted for other Republicans earlier in the voting process, changed their votes to back Johnson.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the only Republican to vote for someone other than Johnson.
Johnson later said he did not make any promises to Self and Norman.
The reelected speaker told CNN that he is “ready to get to work.”
US President-elect Donald Trump threw his support behind Johnson earlier this week, and told reporters Tuesday night that he would make calls on Johnson’s behalf to fellow Republicans, if necessary.
Multiple sources told CNN that Trump spoke to Reps. Norman and Self as Republicans worked to convince them to vote for Johnson.
Johnson was first elected to the post of House Speaker in October or 2023 after the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy, but had come under fire recently over his handling of the government spending fight just before Christmas.
Johnson has been a staunch supporter of Israel. In his first speech after being elected speaker, Johnson said that “the closest ally of the United States in the Middle East is under attack” and that his first act as Speaker will be to pass a resolution affirming Israel’s right to self-defense.
