On Jan. 3, 2025, Louisiana Republican and House Speaker Mike Johnson won with a slim margin of 218 votes against Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who received 215 votes, and Rep. Tom Emmer, who got 1 vote. Johnson could only lose one Republican vote to become speaker and ended up with nearly all Republicans’ support, except for Rep. Thomas Massie, who voted against him.
Members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus stated that they backed Mike Johnson for speaker to show their support for President Trump and to ensure his electors are certified promptly.
“We did this despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker’s track record over the past 15 months,” the caucus said in a statement.
Johnson faced opposition from some Republican members, such as Reps. Thomas Massie, Ralph Norman, and Keith Self, who initially voted against him. However, Norman and Self later changed their votes after talking to Johnson. President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Johnson, calling on Republicans to support him, but some still had doubts.
The Speaker of the House is an important role in the U.S. government. The speaker leads the House, assigns committee heads, chooses which bills are voted on, and acts as the main spokesperson for the majority party. The election occurred during a stressful political time, with Republicans having a slim majority and internal conflicts putting the party’s goals at risk.
With Johnson re-elected, the House will soon vote on new laws. Johnson needs to unite his party and support President-elect Trump’s plans.
