Johnson wins dramatic reelection as speaker after 2 GOP hard-liners switch votes

The Republican holdouts changed their votes after calls from Donald Trump.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Lauren Peller, John Parkinson, and Arthur Jones II
Last Updated: January 3, 2025, 2:42 PM EST

In some high-stakes political drama, the House of Representatives on Friday voted to reelect House Speaker Mike Johnson to lead the 119th Congress by a razor-thin margin.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who ascended to the leadership post in 2023 after the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy, had secured President-elect Donald Trump's support as he sought a second term.

But Johnson's handling of the government spending fight just before Christmas angered some of the GOP's right flank. Three Republicans initially defected from Johnson during the vote, but two ultimately changed their votes to hand him the gavel.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news developed:
Jan 03, 2025, 8:58 AM EST

How the House speaker vote works

The House will meet at 11:00 a.m. for legislative business and then officially convene for the start of the 119th Congress at 12:00 p.m.

At noon, there will be a quorum call to determine how many members are present and voting. With the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House, Johnson needs almost every Republican vote to win.

The election for speaker is expected to take place between 12:45 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Read more about what will happen on the first day of the new Congress here.

Jan 03, 2025, 8:57 AM EST

Johnson's future uncertain as he fights for reelection

Johnson has publicly expressed confidence that he will retain the speaker's gavel, but spent the final day before the vote on Capitol Hill meeting with Republican holdouts.

Several House Freedom Caucus members were spotted at his office, many leaving the hourslong meeting dodging questions from reporters. The few who did speak said they thought they were making progress but none had committed to voting for Johnson.

Meanwhile, Trump's team and the president-elect himself were working behind the scenes this week to strike a deal with one GOP hardliner in particular -- Rep. Chip Roy of Texas -- sources told ABC News.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the press at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 20, 2024 in Washington, D.C.
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Related Topics