Mike Johnson elected speaker of the House for 119th Congress after two GOP holdouts flip in shocking turn
SUMMARY
Mike Johnson, a Republican representative from Louisiana, was elected Speaker of the House for the 119th Congress after securing 218 votes, the exact majority needed with 434 lawmakers in attendance. The election followed a shift in support from two GOP holdouts, Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Keith Self (R-TX), who initially backed other candidates but changed their votes before a second round of voting commenced. Their support left Johnson just two votes shy of clinching the speakership. When asked if he struck any deals to win over the holdouts, Johnson insisted he "conceded nothing," dismissing speculation about political trade-offs. The House clerk officially declared Johnson the next Speaker, solidifying GOP leadership in the chamber. Johnson’s election ends weeks of intra-party disputes and represents a unifying moment for House Republicans as they prepare to tackle key legislative priorities in the new Congress.
