On Friday, January 3, the U.S. House of Representatives will hold the 119th Congress Speaker election. The current Speaker, Mike Johnson, faces a significant challenge in his bid for reelection.
Despite President-elect Trump publicly endorsing Johnson and stating that he will make calls on his behalf, some Republican members have openly expressed their lack of support for Johnson. With the Republicans holding only a slim majority in the House and Democrats expected to all be present to vote, Johnson’s reelection is facing a massive test.
Prior to the House vote on Friday, President-elect Trump once again endorsed Johnson on the social media platform “Truth Social,” emphasizing the importance of Johnson’s election.
“Wishing Speaker Mike Johnson good luck today, he is a very capable good person, and he is very close to achieving 100% support,” Trump said. “Mike’s victory today will be a big win for the Republican Party and another affirmation of the most important presidential election in our 129-year history! This is indeed a huge affirmation. MAGA!”
Trump will assume office as President of the United States on January 20 and will begin implementing his campaign-promised agenda. However, before advancing important agendas, the House must elect a Speaker.
Republicans hold 220 seats in the House, while Democrats hold 215 seats. With Republican Representative Matt Gaetz resigning last month, this advantage has been further weakened until his position can be filled in a special election in Florida on April 1.
Calculations indicate that Johnson will face a significant challenge on Friday. If all members are present and vote for a candidate, Johnson can only afford to lose the support of one Republican member to retain the Speaker position.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie has explicitly stated that he will not vote to support Johnson, forcing Johnson to secure the support of all other Republican members. However, several Republicans have declined to confirm whether they will vote for Johnson.
“I will talk to Mike and express my concerns. So far, I have not made a decision,” Republican Representative Tim Burchett told Fox News Digital.
Other hardline Republican members who play a key role in Johnson’s reelection include Victoria Spartz, Chip Roy, Andy Biggs, and Lauren Boebert.
Meanwhile, Democrats are not making things easy. Democratic leaders have made it clear that they will not support Johnson in this week’s vote. It is expected that Democrats will follow the same strategy as two years ago and unanimously cast their votes for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. All 215 Democratic members are expected to be present for the vote on Friday.
Johnson told Fox Business News on Thursday, “I truly believe… we may become the most influential Congress of modern times because I believe President Trump will be the most influential president.”
“We need to tackle all issues, and it has to start from day one, so we have no time to waste,” he said.