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, 10:34 AM EST

Johnson's message to GOP: 'We don't have time for drama'

Johnson had a simple message for his conference ahead of the vote.

"We don't have time for drama," Johnson told reporters.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson talks with members of the media while walking to his office on Jan. 3, 2025, in Washington.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Johnson said he was speaking with members and urging them to be unified so they can quickly get to work on Trump's agenda.

"This election is not just about one person. It's about moving forward with the America First agenda. A mandate was given by the American people -- the electorate -- President Trump got 77 million votes. The House Republicans got almost 75 million. Thats a record number. They are expecting us to get to work," Johnson added.

Jan 03, 2025, 10:06 AM EST

What Johnson is thinking

Johnson expressed confidence in winning the speaker vote as he entered the Capitol on Friday.

Asked by ABC News if he will be successful in the first round, he replied: "I think so."

But privately, House leadership sources say they're also preparing for the very real possibility of a bruising floor fight, going multiple rounds of voting.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson leaves his office in the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 3, 2025, in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In 2023, it took McCarthy 15 rounds of voting and several concessions to be elected speaker.

Johnson has been adamant he won't make any backroom deals to keep his job. And moderate Republicans have been publicly cautioning Johnson against giving too much away to the further-right undecided votes.

-ABC News' Jay O'Brien

Jan 03, 2025, 10:07 AM EST

Trump wishes Johnson luck

Trump is doubling down on his support for Johnson, and said a victory for Johnson would be a "big win for the Republican Party."

"Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support," Trump wrote in an early morning post on his social media platform.

"A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! - A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!"

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson talks to President-elect Donald Trump as they attend the 125th Army-Navy football game Dec. 14, 2024, in Landover, Maryland.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

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.

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