WASHINGTON — Mike Johnson is once again in a critical position regarding his political future.
The Louisiana Republican faces a significant test on Friday when a new Congress opens and House Republicans consider whether to reelect him as Speaker of the House.
His primary challenge is obtaining nearly unanimous support from fellow Republicans to secure the position.
One advantage Johnson has is the endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who publicly supported him for the speakership earlier this week. However, it’s unclear whether this endorsement will be sufficient to sway some far-right Republicans who have previously expressed dissatisfaction with Johnson’s leadership and often seek concessions during the voting process.
At 52 years old, Johnson unexpectedly emerged as Speaker in October 2023 after the Republican Party had difficulties finding a replacement for Kevin McCarthy, who had been ousted from the role. Several candidates had been considered unsuccessfully until Johnson was ultimately chosen, widely regarded as a well-liked figure within the conference.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s management of significant funding negotiations, such as the approval of aid for Ukraine last spring and a recent short-term spending bill, has alienated some supporters and created critics among his ranks.
Given that Republicans maintain only a slim majority in the House at 220-215, even a pair of GOP representatives supporting other candidates could prevent Johnson from achieving a majority, necessitating multiple voting rounds to resolve the speakership.
Here’s a closer look at the mechanics of how the House selects its speaker:
The selection of a speaker is the primary agenda item for the House as it begins a new session at noon. Members vote on this matter even before they are officially sworn in.
Without a speaker, the House cannot efficiently organize, as this official serves both as its presiding officer and as the administrative leader of the institution. A new speaker can be elected at any time if the current speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from the position. In its history, the speakership has been vacant only 13 times, according to nonpartisan Congressional Research Service figures. Until the removal of McCarthy through a coalition of eight Republicans and Democrats, no speaker had ever been ejected from the role before.
Unless such extraordinary circumstances occur, a speaker is typically elected at the start of a new Congress and serves throughout that two-year term.
The House clerk oversees the election process, during which lawmakers announce their speaker choices via a time-consuming roll call method, adding considerable intensity to the occasion. Participants may enliven the proceedings by shouting or standing during votes.
Any member’s name can be nominated from the floor, although the tradition has been for the speaker to come from within the House.
Over the years, notable figures such as Democratic President Joe Biden, Trump, and even Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky have received votes for the speakership. However, none achieved a majority. Typically, the party’s officially selected nominee is the one who ultimately secures the gavel.
Following a closed-door vote in November, Republicans endorsed Johnson as their nominee for speaker. Shortly afterward, Democrats unanimously reselected Rep. Hakeem Jeffries from New York to lead their party, despite recent electoral setbacks.
Lawmakers are not mandated to vote for their party’s designated candidate, potentially complicating the election situation.
When the House gathers and has sufficient members present to vote, nominating speeches will be delivered for the various speaker candidates. The clerk will appoint tellers from each party to oversee the vote tally prior to commencing the roll call.
To be elected speaker, a candidate must secure a majority of the votes from members who are present and voting.
Traditionally, this majority number has been 218 out of the total 435 members. However, previous speakers, including McCarthy, have achieved election with fewer votes, as members can occasionally choose to vote “present” instead of naming a candidate. This practice adjusts the overall count necessary to reach a majority downwards.
It remains to be seen whether Johnson will obtain a majority on the first ballot. If he fails, the clerk will initiate another roll call vote.
McCarthy faced a challenging series of 15 ballots across four days before finally gathering adequate support to become the 55th speaker in January 2023.
Once a speaker candidate garners a majority from those present and voting, the clerk will announce the election results.
A bipartisan committee made up of members from the winning candidate’s home state typically escorts the newly elected speaker to the chair on the dais, where the oath of office is administered. The oath mirrors the one taken by new members once the speaker is confirmed.
It is customary for the outgoing speaker to join the newly elected individual at the speaker’s chair, symbolizing a peaceful handover of power from one leader to another. However, in this case, given that Johnson currently holds the speakership, it will likely be Jeffries who formally presents Johnson with the gavel.